The Dark War
by DeafLizgon
Summary: One thousand and five hundred years ago, the great war in between Xiaolin and Heylin. Some says history repeats itself over and over again... Please R&R!
1. Prologue

Me: (appear) I'm pleased to know you love Hybrid Child, Heylin Tigers, and the Gateway of Darkness. I have decided to write the story about how the beginning and the ending of the tale about Grandmaster Dashi, the Heylins, and the Xiaolins. Including the Four Gods and the Dark Forces. May I introduce you to the first Heylin Ancestors!

Shinyu: (bowed and grinned cockily) S'up?

Zalo: (scowls darkly) …

Roba: (crossed her arms in the white robe and blinking innocently)

Jiro: (reading in the book, oblivious to readers.)

Yanji: (sleeping on the couch, snoring loudly)

Gojo: (picking his fangs and staring lazily at the human bones)

Me: (sweatdrop) They're more like the second Heylin chosen ones, eh? Shinyu, you're the first to do Disclaimer!

Shinyu: Disclaimer: Lady Lizgon does not own Xiaolin Showdown and its characters but her sheng-gong-wu and her ideas.

Zalo: Onto the story. (scowls darker more)

* * *

**Prologue**

_Khu's POV_

Three thousand and five hundred years ago….

Dragon

Tiger

Phoenix

Tortoise

My great grandfather used to tell me the old tale of the Four Gods. The great beasts who watching over us and protecting us from the great evil…

_--- _

_The blue planet with full of life flowing all over the world, the red bird screeched loudly as she flapped her almighty reddish-orange wings and flying over the village. _

_The azure eyes of the almighty blue dragon roared as he arose up from the ocean, his sacred scales reflected on the ocean caused the humans in awe. _

_The almighty white tiger dashed through the forest, his sharp verdant slit eyes as he leaped over the cliff, roaring to the sky. _

_Lastly, the great ancient wise black tortoise arose from the underground with a soft gentle grunting as he lift his long neck, staring calmly at the blue sky with his orange eyes._

---

The rainbow life stream, that is a sacred stream of life that flows around the blue planet. It's the ancient source of the planet and every life that lives on it….

Everything was peace until then… everything changed…

Long time ago… the great enemy rose up from the underworld and tried to destroy the world…

It was the great shape-shifting demon and the demonic spawns that were under his command.

_--- _

_The blue dragon roared angrily as the black serpent hissed venomously, arching his neck in deadly warning._

_Glaring at the four Gods with the cold lifeless yellow snake eyes, he opened his poisonous fangs and bit the blue dragon's neck. _

_The blue dragon widened his azure eyes and roared in pain. The gentle blue aura of the lightning sparked and zapped the black flying snake. _

_As the black demon yelped, letting the wounded dragon go and fell on the desert ground hissing painfully. _

_As the blue dragon fell back in the ocean, roaring in pain. The three other gods heard his cry and rushed to their wounded alley. But before they reached him, the black demon strike back once again. _

_He do not attacked the three Gods, but attacks the village where the humans live in…_

_However, the blue dragon casts the curse spell so that black serpent never forgets again as the demon changed into the ugly hideous beast. The head of a goat… the legs of a bull… A body of a man…_

_Together, the four gods used their sacred powers to sealed the demon in the prison of the underworld and disappeared into the life stream…_

---

One thousand and five hundred years later, the sacred powers of the Four Gods passed down to the chosen ones. The four chosen ones are from North, East, West, and South…

Xiao Lin is the first monk with the power of Spirit and also one of the East clans of the Blue Dragon…

Shin Zu is the first shinboi with the power of Harmony and also one of the South clans of the Red Bird…

Hey Lin is the first sorceress with the power of Death and also one of the North clans of the Black Tortoise…

And Tai Zu is the first ninjistu with the power of Life and also one of the West clans of the White Tiger…

Among them was the greater warrior named Xuan Pedsora

_---_

_Opening the cold amethyst eyes, the swordsman turned around and walked calmly through the merciless flame…_

_Flashing his silver blade with the blood of Xiao Lin's stain on it, scaring the memory inside the innocent minds forever._

---

But, once he found out that he was rejected out of the four clans of the sacred warriors. He began to hold a grudge against the Four Gods. And then… before one noticed, he began to hold a grudge against everything…

The Xiaolin Clans…

_--- _

_Kisara leaped, throwing the white fan in the air…_

_Yuiku dashed, twisting his blue staff past Kisara…_

_Toka twisted his body, widened his arms as the fire burst out of his arms past Yuiku… _

_Aaku stomped his heavy body, arching his strong arms as the rocks flying up around him past Toka… _

_Dojo roared in his giant form, baring his fangs past Aaku… _

_Master Seth stood calmly, the gentle aura of spirit over his body and mind past Dojo…_

---

And the Heylin Clans who opposed Xuan…

_--- _

_Shinyu leaped on the ground, pulling his golden rod with the crack of the lightning… _

_Zalo widened his crimson eyes and lashing out his metal claws, snarling as he ran past Shinyu… _

_Yanji howled, baring his fangs as in werewolf self and leaped over Zalo…. _

_Jiro cast the dark spell from her book in her hands; the living vines surrounded her past Yanji…. _

_Roba opened her pale silver eyes, clapped her pale hands together as If she were praying. She glowered in the silver aura of light over her body, brighter than before as she flew past Jiro… _

_Gojo hissed in the black snake-dragon form, opening his mouth to revealing full of his fangs past Roba…_

---

Due to the overflowing hatred, Xuan attempted to sacrificing his soul to demon but in failure, he only managed to sacrificed half of his soul… Summoning the imprisoned demon from the seal gate was his first mistake…

He tried to fight against the shape-shifting demon and failed, losing his life. At same time, Shinyu came to him and begged him to hold on. Xuan assumed him it was his fault to become corrupted with hatred and jealous.

_--- _

_Xuan smiled; closing his amethyst eyes and went limped in the arms of Shinyu. Shinyu cried over the loss of his older brother…_

_Xuan was laid on the stone table, burning with flame from Toka's element… _

_No one had seen the blue feather float over the sky._

---

And the chosen warriors who tried to stop Lord Ariko and his demonic beasts… There were numerous battles between them.

For every battle, there was much sadness. Even the best warrior too…

_--- _

_Shinyu kneed on the pool of his blood, clutching his wound gash and looking up at his young brother's body that demon was in, smirking so cruel at him and holding the Shadow blade with the stain of Shinyu's blood._

---

They continue fighting to the end as Grandmaster Dashi sealed the demon in the black orb and send him away deeper in the cold freezing land…

And then, on that day…

The sacred powers of the ancestors passed down to us, but the dark war is never ended and the dark forces is still out there somewhere…

On the day of our fate…

The one to end all the battle was the Grandmaster Dashi himself.

The sacred power of Grandmaster Dashi used the life stream as a weapon. The life stream that gushed out on the land swallowed everything consisting of conflict, ambition, and sadness…

_--- _

_The gentle blue aura of life stream snaked toward the Heylin Meteor, swallowing the entire evil aura of the black burning meteor…_

---

In exchanged for sadness, we were told that "Everything has ended"…and that was one thousand and five hundred years ago…

But that was worse than we have expected….

_Khu's POV ended._

**End of Prologue**

* * *

Me: What did you think of the Prologue. If you like it more and then the chapter one will do the first beginning of the first ancestors of Heylins and Xiaolins. Including Grandmaster Dashi as well.

Shinyu: And don't forget to review it first and come back for another time. (smirks cockily)

Me: (massaging her temper)


	2. First Chosen Ones

Me: (appear) Two reviews? YAY!

Zalo: (scowls) Yamato was right for one thing, you're damn perky for an female author.

Me: ….

Shinyu: (looked back at Zalo) Don't they tell you that Lizgon had a ill-temper, Zalo?

Zalo: (unimpressed) ….So?

Me: (pull out of sword and stalking toward Zalo)

Shinyu: (roll his eyes and looked at the readers) Looks like Zalo have to be on top of Lizgon's list. Oi, Draio was still in Gateway of the Darkness I see… probably hiding away from lvufanfic or something.

Disclaimer: Lady Lizgon does not own Xiaolin Showdown and its characters but her sheng-gong-wu and her ideas.

Yanji: Onto the story. (charming smirk flitting at the female readers)

* * *

**Chapter 1 – First Chosen Ones**

The wind swept past the flaming forest on autumn day, blowing some autumn leaves through the peaceful village in the china. The thirteen years old slender figure was sitting on the boulder, watching the birds in the blue sky.

Running her long light blue hair, she smiled kindly at the gentleness of the wind. Only her element, strength, kindness, dream…

And also her freedom…

"Lady Kisara?"

Soulful blue eyes widened in surprise, she turned her head and stared at the small green snake-like dragon with red fur tail. "…Dojo! What a surprise to see you here without my dear brother Dashi."

Dojo snorted, smiling bared his fangs at the mistress of wind. "Master Seth wants to see you."

Kisara frowned, rising her light white blue eyebrow in curious. "What is about he wants to speak to me?"

Dojo shrugged his shoulders, shaking his head. "It had to something with the troublemaker."

Kisara giggled, remembering the troublemaker so well. He had sparkling dark green eyes and charming smirk she recalled when she first met him in the market.

"Very well, led me the way, Dojo."

---

The fifteen years old young two boys sit on with his legs cross, scowling at the old man and young bald man in front of the boys.

"For the hundredth times, you have gone too far to pull the pranks on Yuiku with the tricks of yours." The old man scolded, staring coldly at the young boy.

The green-eyed boy snickered quietly, "I'd say he deserved it."

The light gray-eyed boy snapped quickly, "This is most troublesome I've seen, Shinyu! The one who deserved most is you!"

Shinyu rolled his dark green eyes and said sarcastically, "Oh wow! Gee, thank you Yuiku."

"You are welcome, my friend." Yuiku grinned proudly, his head swelled a bit because of his ego. He turned back the old monk. "Master Seth…"

Shinyu groans. _It's going to be long all day…_

---

"Xuan? What are you doing…? Pray?" A male voice asked sarcastically behind the young Brazilian with long dark brown hair into ponytail to his mid-back.

Xuan opened his bright amethyst eyes slowly, looking over his shoulder to looking at the young boy with crimson eyes. "Zalo. I thought you were helping Lady Wuya and her daughter Jiro to hunting those ancient spell books?"

Zalo snorted; wiping some fake dusts off his dark silver cloth on his shoulders and muttered something darkly. "Ancient spell books? Puffffffff! Why should I care about a piece of a junk paper?"

"Actually, you should." Xuan mumbled standing up and walked away from the sacred stone to the path across the bridge under the river to the small village.

"Xuan! Damnit, Xuan!"

---

The monk sighed, rubbing his forehead while he glared at the smirking dark female. The female companion had long black hair with crimson and bright amber eyes, dressing the old trademark of "Aku" black and red robe.

"Pray to tell, why are you choose Tiger instead of Tortoise, Hey Lin?" He mumbled closing his crystal azure eyes and stuffed his hand into his long pure white sleeves.

Hey Lin shrugged her shoulders, smiling sweetly at the monk. "Why, Xiao Lin? What do have you against the tiger?"

"But your clan is the Black Tortoise. That should be Tortoise after all it is perfect matched to your robe." Xiao Lin said, looking pointedly at Hey Lin's robe. "And White Tiger is the opposite of Black Tortoise, remember?"

Hey Lin scoffed looking amused. "And here I thought you're supposed to dress the blue robe like the Blue Dragon, not white robe like White Tiger." She counted back, grinning at the expression on the monk.

Xiao Lin grimaced at the comment, turning around and opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by the new voice.

"Bickering already? Ten minutes I left you two and now you two are acting like a bunch of children!" The female voice asked unhappily.

Xiao Lin's crystal azure eyes widened and turned his head back to the young mistress. "Liz Gon." He greeted, smiling at his stepsister and old friend.

The blond teen rolled her eyes and shot him an amused look. "For the sixth time, I told you to call me Lizgon, not Liz Gon!" She said crossed her arms over her dark amethyst robe sleeves. "Brother." She added.

Xiao Lin tittered. "Stepbrother." He corrected smirking at the unhappy look on the young stepsister.

Hey Lin sighed, running her long fingers through her long black hair. "I'm afraid I have to go back to the south clan."

Lizgon turned her head back to the dark woman. "When you see Zalo, tell him I'm going to kick him where the sun won't shine!" She yelled after her, ignoring the amused look from her stepbrother.

"What do Zalo does in time again, hmm?" Xiao Lin asked, grinning down at the eighteen years old teen.

"Don't ask, Xiao… Don't ask." The mistress of immortal growled, stomping off to the nearly village.

Xiao Lin sighed; looking up the sky and easily sees the sparkling lone star in the daytime. "One day… The spirits of the great Four Gods will pick the Chosen Ones to protect the world and every life that lives on it." He whispered to himself, smiling as he turned back and left the cliff.

---

Next day…

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAT!" The female voice screeched, scaring the villagers and animals away from the temple. "Why are you letting the crazed trickster in without punishing him for all trouble he caused!"

Shinyu looked flustered with his face red, glaring at the unhappy woman with the green and white robe.

Xiao Lin continued, ignoring the angry stuttering words from the woman shinboi in the White Tiger who loved to prefer Tortoise rather instead of white tiger.

_I see she and Hey Lin have something in common._ He thought to himself, an unseen smirk on his face. "Actually, he's one of the chosen ones, Shin Zu."

"But I am suppose to be the only chosen one!" Yuiku protested hotly, looking hopelessly at the monk who was the powerful leader of the Dragon clan.

"Actually, there is more than one." Xiao Lin asked rubbing his temper. "Whether you like it or not, you have to work together."

As he turned to the line of the chosen children, "Kisara, you are the dragon of wind." He said gently, smiling down at the young sister.

Kisara smiled warmly, oblivion to the boys' faces become reddened and smiled idiotically at her.

"Yuiku, you are the dragon of water."

Yuiku bowed as his hands clapped together in respectful at the older monk and smiling widened. "Oh, I shall not fail you as the strong warrior of the dragon clan and the powerful dragon of water!"

Shinyu mumbled something darkly and then he quickly shut up as Xiao Lin glared at him.

"Aaku, you are the dragon of earth."

Aaku nodded, placed his fingerless glove hands on his hips and smiled respectfully at the older monk. He still had his beloved red cow hat on his back and wearing his dark green robe. He was came from the different country and had southern accent.

"Toka, you are the dragon of fire."

Toka grinned as he turned his head and stuck out his tongue at Yanji. Reacting to the sudden action, Yanji snapped toward the fire dragon's way and growled back at the Japanese young teen. Shinyu sighed, closing his eyes and smiled lazily at his buddy's childish behavior.

Xiao Lin walked to the dark purple haired teen with crimson eyes stood next to Kisara. "Zalo, you are the tiger of metal." He said, glaring at Hey Lin who grinned in victory back at him.

"Metal!" Zalo yelled, looking unimpressed with the element. "Why the hell my element's metal?"

Long pale white-haired boy next to Xuan and whispered to him, "Being hardheaded like a steel instead of rock would be actually making sense."

Zalo shot him a deadly glare.

"Yanji, you are the tiger of shadow." Xiao Lin said, staring emotionless to the white-haired teen and he cowered back away from the cold stare. "Roba, you are the tiger of light."

The young girl with rare pale silver eyes blinked up at the monk and nodded quietly as she sits on the floor closer to the werewolf who had cowered back away from the monk.

"Shinyu, you are the tiger of lightning."

"Lightning?" Shinyu asked his green eyes widened and grinned cockily, "Sweet!"

"Jiro, you are the tiger of wood."

The young long green haired girl sat on the chair, reading the spell book and waving off at the monk. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know." She said distractedly, not looking up from her book.

"Geez, look what did we got. A bookworm." Yanji mumbled, flinging his long hair over his shoulder.

Xiao Lin sighed tiredly, rubbing his forehead. _For one moment, I'm actually glad I don't have children to deal with. _

"Alright, then. You all, Tigers and Dragons, must have a leader to fight for your love, family, and world."

Shinyu perked up and smirked playful at the older monk. "Yah? Who?"

Yuiku stepped forward, grinning proudly. "I knew it. I'm the leader." He said huffed as proud as a lion.

"Actually, no." Xiao Lin answered.

Shinyu smirked amusingly at the simple answer and crossed his arms over his chest, watching his rival look surprised and stumped his shoulder in the defeat.

"Dashi, you are now Leader." Xiao Lin said turned around and looking at his first young brother. "Tigers and Dragons, you all must have 24 hours to chose the name for your clans."

The tiger and dragon chosen ones bowed.

"Dismissed."

Suddenly, a loud cheer from young boys, they dashed out of the temple to the outside, and soon followed by young girls. But that leaves Xuan alone with Hey Lin and Lizgon, waiting for Xiao Lin.

Xiao Lin quirked his eyebrow at the young Brazilian and smiled at the girls. "Please leave us at moment, young ladies."

Hey Lin rolled her eyes and sulking out of the temple along with the young teen. "Fine, fine, fine. Enjoy break it to him already, Xiao Lin." She mumbled darkly as she disappeared behind the doorway.

"Grandmaster Xiao Lin…" Xuan greeted politely, nodded his head in respect for the older monk. "…I cannot help but noticed you do not choose me as one of the chosen ones. Why is that, Grandmaster, something you hid from me? Explain now."

Xiao Lin let out a huge sigh of exhausting and looked at the young brunette. "That is why I am afraid… there is something I sense in you is something I do not like to know. You supposed to be the tiger of darkness but…"

Xuan frowned, narrowed his amethyst eyes and uncrossed his arms, falling to his side. "But what, _Grandmaster_?" He asked coldly, stressed the word of Grandmaster to make the monk flinched.

"I'm afraid… I have to banish you for your own good. Perhaps you would be safe from the great evil."

Xuan's eyes widened in surprise and sad but pure anger and then narrowed at the older monk. "So I'm rejected, then? Fine! I shouldn't have left Toborejo."

The long dark brown haired teen turned around, stalking angrily toward the doorway. He did not hear Xiao Lin call out to him.

"Be careful where are you going to."

---

"Didn't what?"

Jiro blinked again; shrugged, deciding it was time to move past _that_ particular little issue if Yanji was delightedly ignorant. "Nothing," she replied hastily, fixing the werewolf with a roll of her eyes and a dismissive wave. "I'm just overtired. Fell asleep earlier, now I've got nothing to eat or drink. Hence the late-night outing."

"You don't say." Yanji raised an eyebrow but didn't look up from his apple. "Then of course there's the matter of why you're staying at that temple _at all_. Rats have better hovels."

Jiro groaned at the reminder. "I got as far as I can go with my spell books. As soon as I can go find Xuan." She muttered, slapping her hands to her face and dragging them down it in irritation.

"I'd believe it."

Jiro's hands stopped halfway down her face at the sarcastic tone. She glared. "Was that comment absolutely necessary?" She mumbled out from beneath her hands. "Looks like I'm already paying for being out of place, thank you very much."

Yanji smirked. "Looks more like I'm having problems with a stalker, to me."

"A stalker!" Jiro screeched, staring bewildered at the werewolf.

The smirk deepened.

Jiro grounded her teeth together so tightly that her jaw began to ache. "A stalker," she spat out eventually. "What on _earth_ gave you an idea as flattering as that?"

Yanji snorted and shot her a stupid look.

She scowled. "Would you care to put that into words, werewolf?"

"No, I don't think so. It goes without saying, really…"

Even still, she couldn't seem to move past Yanji's dumb idea. To think _he'd_ have the courage to even _consider_ her as the stalker type. And _him_ of all people, geez! She pondered sputtering melodramatic in rage for a few seconds before counting slowly to ten, breathing in and out in order to let her frustration vent.

She was nearly back to her normal levels of 'serene' when Yanji chose to add to his sentence.

"… I can't help that I'm just undeniably attractive."

That was very close to the final straw. Actually, scratch that, it was.

Jiro strode forward and for a moment contemplated simply poking Yanji in the eye, seeing as he seemed to be enjoying smirking at her with _that look_ so much this evening.

Instead she settled for reaching up and snatching the half-finished apple from between Yanji's lips and dropping it to the ground, kicking it out with her foot with jerky, overemphatic movements.

"Don't you should not eating apple, werewolf? You're suppose to eating meats or something werewolf do whatever," she said sweetly, trying out a smirk of her own.

Yanji was unfazed. "Supposed to be quitting to eat meats, anyway," he replied smoothly, dropping the hand that had been holding the apple to his mouth and settling it behind his head, where he proceeded to lean even back against the large wooden fence that framed the property behind him.

"And by the way, stop smirking, the expression doesn't suit you."

If growling like a rabid dog on crack was at all possible for a human, Jiro came close to accomplishing it then. "Perhaps that's because I don't walk around _wearing_ said expression all day." She said hotly.

"And a good thing, too, otherwise your face might just stick that way, and then whose ridiculously overemotional face would I mock?" The werewolf asked grinning at her.

Jiro blinked and jammed a hand onto her hip. "I am _not_ overemotional."

"Hormonal?"

"No."

"Psychotic?"

"Nope!"

"Maniacal?"

"… Isn't that you?"

Yanji's eyebrow twitched. "My, my, my! Have you been sharpening your tongue since I saw you last?"

"Yep, for fun. I find it helps me deal with completely egotistical idiots that have inflated heads and freaky eyes…" Jiro said sarcastically, rolling her dark hazel eyes.

"… Sarcasm also doesn't suit you."

_... Kicking Yanji sounded good. Actually, so did tearing her wooden stick out and jamming it down his overactive throat all the way to his vocal chords?_ Jiro thought, her eyebrow twitching annoyingly at the werewolf. It had been a bad day and she refuse to let some werewolf to taunt her.

"Don't you have someplace else to be, Werewolf?" she said eventually, not really meaning it, but not really caring at the same time. "People to taunt, lives to ruin somebody's life, or pulling pranks with Shinyu?"

"Eh, Not unless you count home."

"How about going there?"

"How about thinking before you speak?"

Jiro turned back to face the tiger of shadow. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, c'mon, 'Ro. Think. _Why_ would I be sitting out on the street in this village in the dead hours of the night?"

"Because you're a strange, confusing werewolf with a disturbing, psychotic hobby and one whacked-out nut job?" Jiro muttered darkly, not admitting it was confusing her.

Again with the eyebrow, Yanji frowned. "Try again."

Jiro already had a pretty good idea of what Yanji was talking about, but being forward with someone who didn't know the definition of the word was not something she was about to do. However, having Yanji simply confirm it like that was taking all the fun out of it, and before she knew what she was doing she'd taken a couple of steps to the left – just enough to peer into the pathway she'd avoided earlier – and begun examining the nearby surroundings. Or, more importantly, the little she could see of them.

Needless to say, once she'd finished raking her eyes over the countless stones, the plain meadow, and the simple creep cave of the mountain next to village where two teens were standing in at least yards away, she found herself peculiarly disappointed.

"You don't live _here_," Jiro said before she could stop herself, and clapped her hands over her mouth yet again in embarrassment as if to try and snatch back what she'd just said.

Yanji sniggered quietly, a short sound that held more amusement at her antics than at what she'd really said. "I what?"

"Uh, nothing?" The young sorceress/witch said flustered in red from either embarrassing or anger.

"I don't live here? Is this where you spit out some cheesy stalker line like _'I know where you live'_?"

Jiro concisely caught herself thinking about how to gouging out of the werewolf's eyes or probably put a poison potion in the idiot's drink in slow and painful. She'd been having too many murderous cravings lately.

Perhaps it was the company she'd been keeping… As long, as she doesn't go insane and accidentally kill the annoying werewolf next to her.

---

Xuan grumbled angrily to himself, walking alone on the pathway to his clans. He began to hating the old grand master and wondering why the Four Gods choose him as the Grandmaster.

"I will prove it to them that I will not rejected so easily!" He said to himself and found himself glaring at the black stone with the weird symbol. "Hmmm…?"

For once he actually glad he can read the Chinese symbols he'd learn from Master Seth.

It says, _Beware of the Great Spirit evil, traveler. Unseal this; you will cause the world into the ten thousand years of the darkness._

He wasn't sure if it is true, he shouldn't go near the cursed seal but… for a strange reason he was slowly drafting to it.

Unseal the cursed seal was his first mistake to do…and it already sealed his fate in the evil way…

**End of Chapter 1**

* * *

Me: What did you think of the first chapter and all ancestors, including First Grandmaster Xiao Lin and Leader Dashi (soon to be second Grandmaster in few chapters)?

Zalo: (twitching in pain) …

Xuan: Serve you right, Zalo.

Jiro: (shakes her head) please review it and have a good night.


	3. The Magical Objects

Me: (appear and bowing in thousand of apologizes) I apologize for lack of writing and suffering long cursed writer's block. I know there's no excuse for this. But at least just only three more days left from Thanksgiving vacation. While I was watching Xiaolin Showdown yesterday, I was nearly choked on pizza pieces when Hannibal said to Raimundo the same words as Wuya said to Rai! OO I knew Raimundo doesn't fall into this one. (shakes head) For one moment I'm tore between glad he's just faked his dark side and disappointing when I find out its just Hannibal, not Chase. Yes, Chase Young, I'm just hoping for this one day. (sigh) I wonder he knew about Raimundo and his clever brain? If there is a episode about them, I wasn't surprise at all.

Shinyu: (walked in) I'm proud of Rai did in showdown. No one had beats him with his clever mind. That's what I'm taught him about. (grin)

Me: Uh… but you're dead in 1,500 years…

Shinyu: (shrug) He did take after me, didn't he?

Me: --u Never mind…

Disclaimer: Lady Lizgon does not own Xiaolin Showdown and its characters but her sheng-gong-wu and her ideas.

Yanji: Onto the story. (charming smirk flirting at the female readers)

Me: Yanji! Quit with flirting them again! (angry vein popped on her forehead)

* * *

**Chapter 2 – The Magic Objects**

One month later

It was quiet as the brunette riding on the black house, pulling the wagon back to the temple. He looked at the cargo in the back of his wagon. Wood for the last few repairs to the village, special flowers and herbs for temple, and a few bags of metal items and some golden objects from Egyptians for the monks and sages. It had been a long trip, but at least he could see Kisara again. He hadn't gotten the courage to tell her how he felt, but maybe . . .

His thoughts were cut short as he heard a sound. It was quiet at first, but it got louder.

_"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!"_

The form of a human was falling. It looked as though they were falling right out of the sky. Shinyu blinked at the unfamiliar dot and only getting closer and closer until…. The form came crashing down onto the wagon, exploding with sand dust around where the wagon and Shinyu are.

He gawked at the person that had just come crashing down, just a yard away from him. He recognized familiar long white hair and pointy ears.

"Yanji! What the hell are you doing in my wagon!" He yelled, glaring at the werewolf clutching the strange-looking falcon's wing-like golden object in his hands and his eyes seem unfocused and dazed. "And what the hell is this?"

"This?" Yanji asked looking down at the golden object in his hands and grinned up at Shinyu. "Grandmaster Xiao Lin, Mistress Hey Lin and Dashi created all magical items. This is called _Wings of Tinabi_! AAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" He shrieked as the golden falcon's wings activated and zoomed upward.

Shinyu fell backward on the sand ground with a surprise expression on his face as he stared up at flying werewolf. As his green eyes widened when the Wings of Tinabi decided go downward toward him, he ducked down covering his head as the flying golden object and werewolf swished past him by an inch.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" Yanji screamed, clutching on the Wings of Tinabi. "This is reaaaaaaally bad idea! AAAH!"

_CRASH!_

Shinyu uncovered his head and looked over at Yanji crashed onto the giant rock and slide onto the ground, flying stars dances around his head. He sighed, shaking his head. _Typical Yanji. _He thought, stand up and looking at the wrecked wagon. He sighed, gaining some unbroken items into his sack.

"Great. Grandmaster Xiao Lin is going to kill me for this." He muttered to himself, turning and looking for the horse that ran away after the small incident. He sighed, walking over to the unconscious werewolf.

"When you wake up, I'm going to zap you with my lightning for all chores I did in a whole week." He said growling pulled unconscious Yanji on his back and picked up the golden object he doesn't know and don't care what it was.

"You own me, you hear me!" Shinyu muttered, heading the village… a one half mile from him.

----

One hour later

Xiao Lin eyed at all hundred golden objects with glowing gold aura all over it. "All magical objects have great gifts and curses, Hey Lin."

Hey Lin sighed looking back at Dashi picked up a strange-looking red, black, golden object with an Egyptian eye. "Are you going to named it aren't you, Dashi?" She asked impatient, glaring at the monk.

He glared back at Hey Lin and opened his mouth to say something as the brown wooden door opened suddenly, the familiar brunette with an unconscious werewolf on his back with an annoyed expression on her face. "Which one of all you can explain this to me what the hell is going on!" He said through his gritted teeth, glaring deadly at Xiao Lin. "I was almost crushed by this manic mutt and this weird thing object! Wings of whatever or something like that."

Xiao Lin sighed, rubbing his forehead and stand up from his chair. "Please have a seat, Shinyu. Dash, please take Yanji to the guest room."

"All sacred magical objects with great gifts and curses known as Sheng-Gong-Wu are…" He began.

----

"…keys to controlling the power of balance which is Yin and Yang. It can be caused great chaos upon this world with ten thousand years of darkness…"

The young person wore the black cloak and hooded over his face, smirking on his or her face can be seen. "Interesting objects, isn't it?" The cloaked person replied as a voice sound so deep and cold.

A woman with fury red hair and dressed in black and purple robe, unlike all Tiger warriors wore. She smirked, lifting her head and opened her dull green eyes. "Yes, interesting…" She purred to the unknown cloak man as she grinned her fangs revealed.

The cloaked person smirked. "Continue, Wuya."

Wuya grinned happily, "And this magical objects can be…."

----

"In the hand of great evils I've fear so greatly. That is why I must ask you, my dragons, to protect these objects from the evil forces. I beg all of you, dragons, for Four Gods' sake." Xiao Lin said, looking each of Shinyu, the Dragons and Tigers.

Shinyu mumbled, "And even wonder why I knew there must be end of the world every time I hear it in rest of my life?"

Xiao Lin glared silently at Shinyu as the Tiger of Lightning shrank back in fear away from the elder monk and chuckled nervously. "Errr… Never mind."

"And may I introduced you to my two best students…" Xiao Lin said sidestepped, revealing two older men stood proudly and stone-looking expression. "Guan and Chase Young."

Yuiku rushed past all Tigers and Dragons nearly clashed over Shinyu with huge smile and his blue eyes sparkling with full of happiness. "Oh wow! Great Legendary Master Monk Guan! And infamous Master Young with all legendary martial arts!" He exclaimed, bowing his head at the two best students. "I worship you walk to the ground…. I mean, I walk you to worship…I mean…." He stuttered, clutching his head trying to figure it out how to correct his saying.

All Tigers and all Dragons but Yuiku sweat dropped, looking trying not to laugh and grinned helplessly at each other as Master Monk Guan smiled gently down at young Yuiku and pat on Yuiku's blue hair. "It's alright. I understand completely what do you meant."

Xiao Lin smiled and then frowned, looking back at the black mountain. He had a bad feeling about something went wrong since Xuan left.

But he didn't know how he was right about the part…

----

One whole month later

Shinyu flung over the stone guardian and landed on the lifeless ground, glaring up at the creature. "Can't anybody care tell me what the hell is going on? Why Stone Guardians attacking us and we aren't done anything to them!" He growled clutching the golden rod he had received from Grandmaster Xiao Lin.

"No idea, buddy!" Yanji yelled, dodged the giant rock-like fists and suddenly he got hits by the fire spat from one of the stone guardians. "Arg!"

Dojo shakily, worming around Kisara's arm and glanced up at the stone guardian. Kisara clutched her wounded arm and looking bravely as she held her ground. The stone guardian opened its mouth and loaded the fireball in front of the Dragon of Wind.

"Thunderbolt Explosive!"

The lightning ball exploded and zapping down with several bolts onto the stone guardian and shocked it until it knocked out cold.

Kisara blinked, looking over her shoulder and smiled shyly when she saw Shinyu ran up to her, panting heavily. "Kisa! Are you alright?" He asked, eyeing over Dragon of Wind's body for injuries.

Kisara nodded, laughing. "Yes. I'm fine, Shinyu. Let's get rid of all Stone Guardians." She turned around and remained in her battle position.

"Cyclone Dance!" Dragon of Wind yelled, twisting her body and transformed into the white hurricane. The powerful cyclone blew some of the stone guardians away.

"Earthquake Wave!" Aaku yelled, his hands stretched widely and smashed onto the earthly ground as the earth trembling under his hands and rumbling toward the stone guardians to knocking off their balance.

"Inferno Blaze!" Toka yelled, leaped into the sky and his arms stretched widely as the sky turned red and the giant fireball whooshed down from the sky toward the stone guardians, burning them till to piece of pointless rocks.

"Monsoon Storm!" Yuiku yelled, waving his arms graceful and claimed his fingers together as the sky turned gray and black, showering all stone guardian with deadly ice hail rains and freezing them in a second.

"Nature Whip!" Jiro said swinging her left arm to right as the brown earth-like roots snaked from her left side to knocking some of the stone guardians while they had their guard drop.

"Divine Aura!" Roba said holding her fingers together and closed hrt pale silver eyes as she chanted quietly. The white light glowing surrounded her body to purify the stone guardians while they transformed back into young stone-like babies brawling and coo softly.

"Nightmare Scream!" Yanji growled disappearing into the shadow and the yellow eyes glowered in the black cloak-like shadow, covering all over the stone guardians and dragging some of them so all dragons and all tigers can heard the frightful shrieking from the stone guardians.

"Maybe he overdid it again." Shinyu muttered under his breath, shaking his head.

"Steel Spike!" Zalo yelled, his right hand stretched widely as the silver pikes appeared all over ground toward the stone guardians and trapping them into the cage of steel pikes. "That should hold 'em." He said, turning around to the dragons and tigers.

Kisara turned her head, looking for something or someone. A worried expression masked her face; she bit her lips out of her habit. Shinyu noticed this and approached her, "What's wrong, Kisa?"

"Anyone has seen my brother, Dashi?" Dragon of Wind asked, looking back into Shinyu's green eyes with her sad blue eyes.

Everyone glanced at each other with some surprise and worry expression revealed as Yanji opened his mouth to ask something but the earth shook, surprising them. They fell back on ground and some of them remained to hold their ground. About hundred stone guardians appeared from the ground, surrounding around the two groups.

Zalo swore loudly as Jiro covered young Roba's ears and young Tiger of Light widened her innocent eyes. "Damnit! There are too many!" He cursed, pulling Coyote's Dark Claw out of his hidden pocket.

As stone guardians approaching the two groups, suddenly they were sliced into pieces of harmless rocks and falling onto the earthly ground, all dragons and tigers looked surprised at the sudden attack.

"Are you unharmed?" A soft voice behind their back startled them as the two groups turned around and saw Chase Young and Guan with their special weapons.

"Master Young!" Roba and Jiro exclaimed in surprise.

"Master Guan." Shinyu and Yuiku said at same time, looking bewildered.

Zalo frowned, narrowing his red-blood eyes at them. "What are you two doing here? We can handle them just fine!"

Chase Young twisted his body and kicked a stone guardian's head off its shoulder. "Children, you have to leave right now! Let us handle those creatures." He ordered, dodged the fireball from the stone guardian.

"Leave now!" Guan yelled, twisting his spear and knocked away some fire spats.

Shinyu nodded sharply, pulling Kisara's arm and ran while the dragon warriors and tiger warriors followed after them.

----

The cloaked person stood on one of the branches, watching down at two powerful warriors with an amused smirk. "So… Hannibal…"

"What is it, Master?" A deep voice asked in the giant black armor with two horns and two fierce red glowing eyes stood behind him.

"Do you see this one?" The cloaked person said, pointing at the black haired man in green dragon-like armor. "You shall tricked him into joining our dark force. Oh, and no Demon Armor are allowed."

A disappointing groan can be heard from the giant black demon-like armor, a small door opened and a bean appeared with a wicker expression. "Fine." He said in squeak voice and bounced downward on branches.

The cloaked person looked up the sky that was turned into dark purple, crimson and black. "So it is just beginning." He smirked slyly, and then laughing evilly.

----

The two groups ran toward the black mountain, a fierce wind blowing their hair wildly and pushing them away slowly while they looked up at the sky and saw the blue lightning strike in distance and the green fireballs flew upward from the same distance.

Shinyu's green eyes bugged out.

"Dashi…"

Jiro covered her mouth with her hands in horror and shock. "They're fighting each other! What's going on?"

"It's a first showdown, guys." Dojo piped up, stuck out his head from Shinyu's robe and looking at them. "I heard Wuya longing for Sheng-Gong-Wu and with it so she can ruled the world with Ten Thousand Years of Darkness!" He whimpered in fear, covering his eyes.

Shinyu whirled around and glaring at them, "Stay here! I'm going to check it out!" He ordered as he turned around and running up the mountain trail.

"Shinyu!" Kisara yelled about chased after the Brazilian but Yanji caught her wrist and she looked back at him with a sad expression. "Yanji, let me go!"

"Just stay and wait to see what happen…" Yanji whispered, looking up at the distance of the mountain. "Just trust me, girl."

Kisara nodded slowly, turned her head and looking at where Shinyu had disappeared. "Just be careful, Shinyu."

----

Chase Young looked down at Hannibal with looking confused and unimpressed as Hannibal lift the potion that his master made it special for the young warrior. "Here it will make you strong and powerful, Chase Young." He replied with a knowing dark smile.

Chase Young picked up the potion bowl and drank it whole, not seeing Hannibal smiled so wildly and darkly than before. Suddenly, he choked while he dropped the small bowl and clutched his chest in pain.

And then he transformed.

----

Xiao Lin drank his favorite green tea as the wooden door opened and he looked up and saw the cloaked person stood in the doorway, shadowing his face so he can't see whoever the person is.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" The Grandmaster demanded, placing the teacup on the beautiful craving red table. "Answer me."

"Oh, _Grandmaster_, you don't recognized me? I'm hurt." The cloaked person said, tilted his head and grinning darkly at the old monk.

Xiao Lin's eyes widened in surprise and fear. "Can't it be…."

"Yes.." the cloaked person lifted his hood off revealing his amethyst eyes. No soul was in sight in them any more but just dull and lifeless. "You banished me for no reason, old man."

Xiao Lin stood up and backed until he was pressed against the wall. "You… You're not the Xuan I ever know!"

"Oh, clever as you seem." Xuan grinned, pulling out of the silver blade with black hilt. "Recognize this?"

"Shadow Blade! It's the cursed sword of Demon Ariko!" Xiao Lin exclaimed, narrowed his eyes at the demon or a dark spirit. "So you are freed I assumed, Ariko?"

Xuan laughed. "No… I'm still trapped. I can control this boy's mind and body by just using my power. I'm nothing but simply spirit. Now, chitchatting is over. Say hello to Four Gods!" He snapped, lifting his Shadow Blade.

----

Dashi flung backward onto the black ground as Wuya stood on one of the cliff, glaring down at the monk with green fire burning from her hands.

"Give up, Dashi?" She asked, grinning so her fangs were revealed.

Dashi glared up at her and stood quickly, "No. _Eye of Dashi!_" He yelled, aiming at her with his favorite magical object as the blue lightning snaked toward the dark witch.

Wuya growled at the monk as lit her hands and blasting the green fire at the blue lightning. The powerful attacks clashed each other and equaled at its level.

Shinyu ran upward the end of mountain trail in just time to see the monk stood on the mountain peak and the witch stood the opposite way, their attack keep clashing each other while trying forced over another.

"Oh, man! Oh, man! This is bad day! Bad day!" Dojo whimpered, clutching his head and shaking his head wildly at same time.

Shinyu bopped his dragon-like head and growled, "Shut up, gecko!"

"What do we do? What do we do?" Dojo cried, shaking Tiger of Lightning's head while he was unaffected from the blows. Shinyu pushed him off his face and watching the fights. "Don't you mention there's a backup, gecko?"

Dojo rants suddenly halted, his eyes widened. "Did I? I don't ever remember…."

Shinyu smacked his face with his right hand and groaned. "Why me…."

While they did not aware of the Yin and Yang symbol appeared on the mountainside behind them… A portal of the dark world had been revealed without everyone's knowledge.

**End of Chapter 2**

* * *

Me: (yawn so loudly) After I write it down all timeline after watching every episode of Xiaolin Showdown. I probably have guessed what happened in past time… zZZZzzzzZZZZ

Shinyu: (looked at me sleeping on desk, snoring softly) I guess she hasn't finished her sentence. Well, have a good night and good (early) morning. Please review this before all of you leave. (carry me back into the room to my bedroom)


	4. Xiao Lin Died and Four Angry Gods

Me: Thank you for reviewing my "The Dark War", I'm glad everyone had interest in. Oh and **srebak**, your idea of story seem very interesting, indeed. (nod)

Zalo: Woman! I'm waiting!

Me: (sigh) It seem, Zalo, you are never patient. At least, Yamato can be patient – sometimes. (shake her head)

Yamato: (yell from the distance) I heard that!

Me: (roll her eyes) Okay, on the story! But first, Disclaimer…

Disclaimer: Lady Lizgon does not own Xiaolin Showdown and its characters but her sheng-gong-wu and her ideas.

Me: Okay! Now onto the story and enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 3 – Xiao Lin Died and Four Angry Gods**

The giant white holy creature opened its light green eyes and looked up when it sense the great grandmaster had passed.

_But it's not his time is up yet. _The Tiger of West thought, took his huge white paws on the ground and began to take off to in the search of the Phoenix of South. _Who did this to the great protector of the earth? _

When he found her, sitting on the sacred tree speaking to the bird of paradise, a sacred bird.

_Suzaku, Grandmaster Xiao Lin had been slain._ The Great White Tiger replied, looking directly at the firebird's red eyes. _What are the seven hells going on? We know it is not his time._

The beautiful golden red phoenix of sun glazed her red eyes into the great white tiger of mountain's dull cold yet playful green eyes. _Byakko, subside your temper. We know it is something, possible a human… a possessed human by something familiar. _

_Something familiar? It can't possible be him!_ Byakko snarled looking concerned yet he wouldn't admit what he was feeling to the beautiful bird yet he was an enemy to her.

The Great Red Bird of South looked away, looking uncertain about the something going to be worse. _We should reawaken Seiryu from his ocean. We need his power to cast off on the great evil. _

_What now? Seiryu is recovering himself from the final battle with the damn snake._ The White Tiger of Mountain snarled furiously. _And also Genbu is in somewhere in the holy forest. We don't need them, Suzaku._

Suzaku turned back and glared furiously at the white tiger as the bird of paradise sense its mistress's anger and flew away as fast as it could. _What have gotten you in great anger? What is happening to between you and Seiryu? Before our final battle against that traitor snake and before he was sealed away?_

_My business is none of your business, Suzaku! _Byakko bared his long fangs angrily at the fire phoenix. _Whatever happening to between him and me is nothing of your concern. _

_Byakko…_ Suzaku began.

But, it's too late for her to stop the great white tiger from leaving quickly, probably returning to his home.

_Byakko… _Suzaku whispered looking down at the golden floor. _What is happening to you? Your power is becoming darker and darker._

----

Mistress Lizgon ran past the forest to where the Temple of East was located in the area of the great blue dragon. She had received the news about the Temple of South had been destroyed by something so monster, she have to find her step brother and discussed with him about the attack of the reptile-man.

Young mistress with power of immortal ran through the gate door and she noticed Xuan walked away in the hall. She called after him and then she gasped in horror when Xuan turned around as she saw the blood stain on the blade Xuan held.

"You don't…"

Xuan flashed her a smirk, lit his cold amethyst eyes at her. "I don't what, Mistress Liz Gon?" He asked dryly, being amused at her behavior.

She turned and ran toward the temple where she knew her step-brother was in until something caught her eyes and froze her track while her face were expressed in horror when she saw him.

Xiao Lin were lying in the pool of his own blood, faced upward with his eyes closed and his peaceful expression could fool anyone but not her. She fell on her knees and stared at him in horror as her silver tears steamed silently down her cheeks onto the ground mixing with her stepbrother's blood.

"Xiao Lin…" She whispered.

Xuan smirked at the weeping young mistress. "My work had been finished, Mistress." He said mockingly, grinning down at her.

"What is going on?"

They heard the soft voice as they turned around and saw Kisara, the Dragon of Wind, stood by the doorway. Her soft blue eyes drifted down to the white priest as she gasped in horror when she recognized him.

Laying in the blood pool, the white priest seems sleeping dead with the blood stained on his chest. Slitting the cold amethyst eyes, he turned away from the white priest and only to faced with the familiar softened light sky blue eyes.

"Kisara…." He said taken back in surprise, staring confused at the graceful and innocent priestess warrior. "I…"

"Why…?" Kisara asked her light blue eyes clouded with tears. "Xuan… why must you kill my brother Xiao Lin?"

Betrayal… That's how Kisara, the Dragon of Wind, feel when you watched your beloved brother killed by your friend in front of you. He betrayed her trust, shattered her soft heart, and drowned her with all lies.

Xuan's amethyst eyes softened, reaching for her but to his heart breaks when she moved away in frightful. "…Kisara…"

"What would Shinyu thought of you when he found out…" Kisara said softly, turned around and ran.

Xuan sighed in shame, twisted his cursed sword and put it into his sheath as he walked out of the temple and past the group of Dragons and Tigers to the forest.

The next morning after the Dragons and the Tigers placed their grandmaster in the grave in the respectful way, the mistress of the south had been missing during the death of the grandmaster, as the Tiger of Metal knew where the lady had been hid from the group of the four.

Zalo walked through the autumn of the forest to find her crying under the ruby statue of phoenix of the south. "Mistress Liz Gon?" He asked in caution, knowing the young mistress would throw a hiss fit at him.

"Leave." Mistress of the South hissed, looking up from her arms and glaring angrily at the Tiger of Metal. "I do not want your concern of my well being."

Zalo said nothing as he went to her side and sit by her side quietly. "Don't think so, Liz Gon… When I find the traitor, I will make him suffer for making you suffer like this." He said, looking back to her light hazel eyes.

"Promise me…" Mistress Lizgon said quietly, looking away avoiding the red eyes of the wielder of the metal. "To not making a encounter with Xuan. Let the two brothers to make a decision."

Zalo scoffed quietly as his red eyes gazed up at the light blue sky where the birds soared above the trees. "No fight with the traitor? Have you forgotten of what the bastard did to you by killing your own brother in front of you. Especially Kisara!"

The Phoenix of Immortal looked away sadly. "I know," She whispered quietly, "I forgive him when I gave a second glance at him. The looks of regret and pain in his eyes. He knows what he doing is wrong. It's not himself, just something took control of him, Zalo."

Zalo snorted not looking certain at the thought of his best friend being controlled by the spirit. "So what?"

"Promise me, Zalo! Listen to me, do not go after him." Mistress snapped as she turned glaring at the stubborn warrior. "If you do…if you do…" She growled in furiously with the loss of words she was going to say to him.

Zalo raises one of his dark purple eyebrows up looking interested in what the angry mistress was going to tell him. "If I do what, Mistress?"

Lizgon stopped. Narrowing her light hazel eyes at him, she turned her back at the Tiger of Metal. "You're the only one that could stop him… but you are forbidden to kill him." She whispered quietly as she left him alone in the forest of the holy firebird.

Zalo let out an angry growl at the spot where the mistress had left. "But who will kill him? Who will trumpet over him?"

----

One week later after the death of Grandmaster Xiao Lin and the defeat of the Dark Witch, Shinyu turned his head at the sound of the door as the familiar bald monk walked in the living room. "Dashi? What did the Elders say?" He asked curiously, eyeing at his best friend.

"Huh?" The monk blinked looking up at the rogue and grinned cockily at the wielder of the lighting. "Yeah, they decided to placed me as a new grandmaster after Grandmaster Xaio Lin had passed."

The group of the dragons and tigers congrats him with a laugh and remark comments. The familiar black creature snaked from the doorway to them, rolling his red eyes. "Aren't all you have forgot one thing? ALL OF YOU ARE STILL NOT DECIDED WHAT NAME OF YOUR CLANS!" He roared impatiently, glaring at them.

All of the two groups froze in surprise and then laughing meekly as Shinyu turned his head and grinning down at the small black lizard. "Gojo, where have you been?" He said laughed and then frowned. "Since the death of the Grandmaster Xiao Lin had passed… Dashi, what have you thought of a name for your clan?"

Dashi looked up from the plate and rested his elbows on the table as he pressed his forehead against his hands when he sighed. "Yes, I have."

Yanji swallowed the huge meat and asked out of his curiosity, "What is it, Oh Great Bald?"

"I have decided… The Dragons will be named after our Grandmaster… Xiaolin Dragons." Dashi continued, ignoring the werewolf's comment, looking down at the plate he was eating.

Shinyu looked amusing at the thought of the dragon clan's name. "Heh. The Grandmaster Dashi of all Xiaolin Dragons…" He mused, twisting his fork in the food on the plate while he was thinking. "Quite nice ring of bell, huh?"

Yanji nodded, "If the Clan of Dragons is named after Xiao Lin, why can't we named our clan after our mistress Hey Lin?"

All but the Tigers choked on the cups and foods, not expecting what the werewolf spoke out loud. Jiro turned her head to the werewolf, eyeing at him with curious. "What did you mean?" She asked.

"Think about it, girl. If our mistress Hey Lin could be either missing or dead, why aren't we named our clan after her? The Heylin Tigers sound better than other names that Zalo and Shinyu came up with." The Heylin Tiger of Shadow grinned happily, lit his playful gray eyes up. "That could be honor for her."

Jiro pressed her lip tightly while she was thinking about what the young werewolf's words and then she nodded. "Then that is fine with us. Aren't we agree, guys?" She said, looking back to her clans to see them agreed with her.

Dashi remain silent through all whole chatting in between the two groups and got up from his chair as Shinyu noticed him headed out and call out his name.

"I'm going to sleep outside." That's all Shinyu heard from the new Xiaolin Grandmaster Dashi as he opened his mouth to protest but the monk vanished behind the door.

Shinyu sighed quietly, looking over to the window to see some bird flew past and ignoring the laughing from his companions. He did not notice someone missing in his group and he should have realized that his friend did not come to the dinner with them.

His dark green eyes gazed at the black clouds as the Heylin Tiger of Lightning knew there is going to be a rain soon.

----

"I found you."

The shadow figure had the dark brown hood over his face, walking lonely on the path in the rain. One of the black boots stepped in the view of the loner's sight, as he looked back revealing his rare color eyes.

Amethyst… how much he had despised the traitor's true color eyes as the image of the weeping mistress entered in his mind.

"Xuan…." The owner of the black boots hissed quietly, glaring at the amethyst eyes of a young man. "Why are you betrayed your own team? Betrayed your own brother? Betrayed my trust in you…"

He narrowed his blood red eyes angrily, holding back his tears. "…Why?"

"I have no desire to reveal anything to you…." Xuan relayed, looking directly at the crimson eyes of the man. He smirked humorous at him and he added, "…Zalo."

Zalo snarled, glaring at him through his drenched hair with the cold red color of his eyes. "You bastard!"

Xuan turned his head and staring calmly at the angry warrior in the black and silver Heylin Tiger robe. "Zalo. What a surprising to see you here."

"Cut peep chat! What have you done to Xiao Lin!" Zalo snarled, narrowing his crimson eyes and jerked his metal fist with deadly claws. "Tell me a truth, no lies!"

Laughing amethyst eyes lit up at the comment, he smirked coldly at the Heylin Tiger of Metal. "I merely break him with my shadow blade… He was simply defeated."

"Why you!" Zalo roared, leaping after Xuan. "I should have known you're up to something!"

"Oh really?" Xuan asked in mock surprise, blocking the punch attack with his shadow blade. "Tell me something… What is a darkness?"

Zalo frowned at the question, leaping back on the ground and glaring fierceness at the Heylin Tiger of Darkness. "What the hell are you talking about, traitor!"

"A dark source of the light… Once it tasted a lie, it grew stronger and darker… Once it taste a betrayal, it great hatred and sorrowful… Once it tasted a death, it great insane and killing flesh…" Xuan prophesied, smiling darkly.

"What the hell?" Zalo asked confused with an angry expression, continued glaring at Xuan. "Quit it singing! It makes no sense!"

"Yes, it makes no sense to you." Xuan chuckled darkly, walking through the thick sheet of fog. "Everything is make no sense to me either, only the four celestial emblems only know."

"Who and what are four celestial emblems!" Zalo growled pulling the familiar weapon he had took from the Xiaolin Dragon clan. "If you do not answer my question, then answer to my Coyote's Dark Claw!"

Xuan closed his cold amethyst eyes as he tilted his head up at the sky, feeling the touch of the cold rain upon his face. "So this is a Sheng Gong Wu… What a great power of a sacred object held for the world. It could restored the world…" He looked down at him with the cold amethyst eyes and smiled emotionless. "Or it could ended the world."

----

Shinyu looked from the window to the coward little green lizard, Dojo, who was shaking in fear and pain. "What's matter with you?" He asked almost amused at the little dragon's behavior.

"He is back! He is back! He is back!" Dojo cried, clawing on the floor making a ugly scratches on it.

Kisara blinked down at him. "Who's back?"

Gojo turned his black dragonish head at her and frowned darkly, "The Enemy of Four Gods… Dark Serpent of the Underworld… He was a dark leviathan, he ruled with the power of Darkness, Void, Death and Chaos. When he was a merely nameless dark spirit in the mortal world, he can take over a dead body to become known as Dark Lord. The Four Gods, Suzaku, Seiryu, Byakko, and Genbu are suppose to sealed him in the gateway of the Underworld forever."

The black dragon turned back to other young warriors with serious look. "But when he was sealed, all he need was a someone with a dark soul so he can possessed in a body. He need someone with a negative emotions he can controlled without a problem so he could devoured a dark soul and the dead body could becoming his new body."

Shinyu stood up suddenly, staring down at the black dragon with a startled look. "But that means… It could be my brother? Tell me!"

Dojo gulped loudly behind his brother. "I'd hate to admit it, Shinyu, but it is really your brother being possessed by him."

Suddenly, to all Xiaolin Dragons and Heylin Tigers' surprise as Shinyu started swearing several colorful words loudly enough to making all female blushing in red.

Roba sighed, "The Four Celestial Emblems are going to be very angry when they found out what had happen. They will release their wrath upon our world."

And she was right.

**End of Chapter 3**

* * *

Me: (yawned) At least, I finished Chapter 3… while I had writer's block on "The Illusion of Mirror" Cursed on the writer's block! Please review this after you read and thank you! 


	5. No Choice

Me: I will put_ What's Beyond the Light_ on hold for a while; I'm still had to finish the Dark War. Shinyu!

Shinyu: Yea?

Me: Disclaimer, please.

Shinyu: (sigh) Disclaimer: Lady Lizgon does not own Xiaolin Showdown and its characters but her sheng-gong-wu and her ideas. Oh and she don't own the legends of Four Celestials and the other creatures from the _What's Beyond the Light_ too.

Me: (grin) Onto the story!

* * *

**Chapter 4 – No Choice **

The earthquake ripped through the ground, as the earth creature roared in fury after hearing the news of the great evil was set loose all over the beautiful land while possessed a fool's body.

The ice snow and sleet rained upon the innocent villagers because of the water creature's fury when he heard the great enemy still in somewhere, and he determine to find the snake and destroyed him for good. The lake, river, and ocean overflowed all over the great China in the hope of killing a near-immortal evil. He doesn't ever give a second thought about innocent mortals either.

The lava and fire died down as the beautiful creature wept for the death of innocents and being upset over her shattered family because of one bad deed. She would leave the battle alone in the darkness she cannot stand the sight of her siblings argue over the land of mankind.

The wind blew the cold feeling running up and down in the human's nerve as the ghost of tiger lurking around on the lifeless desert. He don't care for humans or the enemy, he simply fight or flight. He is the wind. He is the death. He is the life. Also… he is the true darkness as well.

No choice, the tiger told the humans. The mortals have no choice but it's part of life and death. Unless even if they are given a second chance and no more than only one…

Give a chance or no choice. He will give you a life of breath or he will take it away from you, as you will have a peaceful death. He gives a mercy to mortals and even enemies.

But he, like mortals, he had no choice but obey his duty as give something live or taking life away from them too.

No choice but so willingly to die for mortals… So willingly take a life… so willingly give a life…

The Wind is a life and death giver. The Wind is so merciful, unlike the wrathful water. The Wind will forgive and forget, but the water will find the faults and blame it on someone he disrespect. The Water may forgive but never forget.

The Wind and the Water clashed each other, arguing against its sibling, its enemy, its brother and its ally.

They have no choice, but to willingly turn the peace into the war upon the elements. The elements will no longer coexist each other, not even if they are peace to each other.

Like all wise old ones say, Friends will be enemies and Enemies will be friends. But no one understands the old wises…

No choice…

----

Walking to the small bar hut, Shinyu flipped the cloth over and looking for someone somewhere in the sake hut.

"Yo!"

He turned around and saw the familiar friend waved drunkenly at him, shaking head sadly at his poor friend's drunken behavior. "Yanji… You're drunk, aren't you?" The rebel mumbled as he walked over to the drunken werewolf.

Yanji shrugged carelessly and drowned himself full sake again. He placed an empty bottle and sighed heavily, "Where's Mister Sunshine?" He smirked when he preferred to Zalo.

Shinyu shook his head and drank his cup with water before he replied, "He's still out somewhere, probably in training. Geez, he's still over worked himself to bone." The rebel huffed glaring at the gloomy, gray clouds with rain outside the window next to his right.

"Riiiiiight. How's bald?" Yanji mumbled quietly before he drank his 4th sake again. "It's been a month since the crazy monk from the future or something."

Shinyu remained silently, thinking back the conversation between him and Dashi after the impressive showdown with a little monk with big head. He was worried about the spirit possessing his older brother would know about Kisara and still unborn baby…

"Shinyu-man?"

Shinyu startled out of his trance and blinked rapidly before staring blankly at the werewolf. "Huh? Wha… Oh. He's fine… I guess." He answered quietly, looking away from the werewolf and stared absentmindedly at the swirling liquid in his cup.

"You're been acting strange since after the crazy boy… Tell me, what's wrong? And don't even try lying to me. I'm a werewolf, damnit!" Yanji asked narrowing his gray eyes, rarely become serious no matter if he's drunk or not.

"Tell me… are you still in love the witch… You know, Jiro?" Shinyu asked knowing the lecher would be distracted if he had to mention about a woman's name.

"She left."

Shinyu startled again, stared disbelief at the sulking werewolf. "Huh? What are you saying?" He asked.

"She left after something happened to her mother." The werewolf replied softly, his gray eyes glazed at outside the window and admiring the beautiful view of gloomy, gray clouds with raining. "She said something about get something belong to her back. She have no choice, but as her duty, she had to do something before she return."

"Duty? What did she mean? Where did she go?" Shinyu said confused, wondering what is his duty as a Heylin Tiger of Lightning, "and why?"

"Dunno…" Yanji sighed shrugging his shoulders hopelessly, drinking his fifth sake again. "Damn… I'm so confused, furious, and betrayed… maybe even lost too…"

Shinyu nodded, closing his dark green eyes and remembered the face of his older brother. _Maybe he's lost when he was banished… That's how I wondered so often, by the look on his face when he was told he was going to be banished and he had no choice but to leave the temple and being alone without companions. It could be why he set the demon free and willingly let it possessed him because of loneness and unhappiness. _

The rebel drank the water cup and glanced over at the rain and the gray clouds. _Xuan… _

----

Jiro sulked angrily through the dark part of the woods, remembering the small talk between her and her sister, Wuya.

Flashback

"_Why you have to go over to the dark side, sister?" Jiro asked, looking back to her sister with a frown. "Is it because of Dashi?" _

_Wuya snarled, whirled sharply to her sister with her cold green eyes narrowed. "You do not want to continued or you will wish you'll be dead at hands of mine rather than the dark lord." _

_As she could hear her sister stirred behind her back with a heavy sigh. "Is it possible you're fallen in love with him? Or…" _

_The second witch snapped angrily, looking into her sister's soft eyes. "I **despised** him, Jiro! His master praised him on and on, like as if he's hero! He's no hero. He's worse like Shinyu!" _

_No respond from the first witch. Wuya snorted un-lady-like at this, turning her back on her sister and was about to walk off to road in the forest. _

"_What would it happen if you challenged him and lose?" _

_Wuya suddenly halted at her track as her back was still on her sister. She lowered her cold eyes on the ground and saying nothing to the first witch. _

"_You would regret to challenging him, sister. Because of your greedy and hungry for the magical objects you're targeting… Please change your mind and be resist against all lies that man feed upon you!" _

_Wuya began to walk again, ignoring her sister's cries._

Flashback ended

The dark, long green haired witch turned her head when the noise rumbled behind the bushes and narrowed her cold hazel eyes when the bush revealed what she want to fight against.

"Evil spirit, I demand you to let of the host of a brother!" Jiro cried angrily, gripping tightly around her only magic book. "Or else I will hex upon you out of the host's body!"

The host flashed his amethyst eyes and stared amusingly at the young witch. "Oh? Well, well, my young witch, Jiro." He drawled, smirking when the witch fumed angrily and rolling her small hands into fists. "What would you do if you killed dear a sibling? Will Shinyu look down upon you if he found out his brother's dead?"

Jiro scowled angrily, "I swear I will, no choice, to ask Byakko to revived him back."

The spirit in the host snarled and narrowed the cold amethyst eyes. "You will not mention his bastard name! I knew he soon be consume with his own element, feeling the dark emotions from the mortals. The emotions are shown great weakness, ha, just like all of humans and creatures."

Jiro cried out angrily and ripped the book opened, "Then I will cursed upon you forever!" She shrieked as the book glowing. "No magical objects will cure it! I swear to you, Xuan will be free of your filthy claws! You will be curse to be slain by the same person you're controlling under your claws!"

The spirit snarled forcing his host to call forth the _Wushan Geyster _and_ The Void of Staff_ and the great force clashed against the magic spell.

And then, the white light flashed all over the China, wiping all villagers and heroes' memories, except for two…

The two, who are in love, untouched with the strange magical light and will remembered all of what happening before the war started.

They have no choice, but to fight each other, with sadness and tragedy… As known as the war of the Xiaolin Dragons and Heylin Tigers.

The blue dragon against the white tiger, the phoenix died in the fire and vanished… And the tortoise remained to sleeping forever deep in the heart of the forest.

No one has a choice, but to flee away from the great angry dragon and tiger's wrathful. No one witness what happen between the dragon and the tiger.

The symbol of the Yang and Ying had been scattered all over the world, showing the great disaster upon the Earth with full of evils and goods clashed each other.

----

Shinyu blinked at the small boy with amethyst eyes and sighed shaking his head when he saw Yanji make a fool out of himself in front of the witch, Jiro. After a sign escaped him, caused the boy jumped being startled.

"Typical Yanji…" Shinyu replied with a dry chuckle. "Hmm? Who are you might be?" He asked when he glazed down at the youth with such odd clothes he had never seen anyone with like that.

"Khu..." The youth answered, looking up at him with his amethyst eyes as the man was taken back in surprise to the youth's eyes.

"Oddly, your eyes…" The rebel mumbled under his breath, easily reminded of his older brother. His dark green eyes softened sadly at the youth, he smiled absentmindedly at the strange boy.

Khu blinked at him and raises one of his eyebrow. "Huh?"

The rebel shook his head with an amused smile and waving it off carelessly, "Never mind, kid. I'm Shinyu."

"What about the woman that Yanji was hitting on?" Khu asked looking back at the still unconscious werewolf on the ground.

Shinyu laughed shaking his head as some of his hair fell covered his eyes. "Her name is Jiro. Come in if you wish." He turned back to his house, knowing the youth was following him in.

He sighed as he grabs the golden rod and turned around, but he bumped into the quiet, fuming "Mister Sunshine" as Yanji nicknamed the grumpy warrior, Zalo. "Zalo." He acknowledged, blinking at the narrowed brown and crimson-eyed warrior.

"Keh." Zalo grunted, sulking angrily past the cheerful, grinning rebel. "Where's your damn girl?"

Shinyu sighed, shaking his head. _Zalo still don't remember Kisara either… Just like all of others except Kisara and me…_

"She's there in living room, Zalo. I'll be waiting outside." The rebel called out, stepping out of the door knowing Zalo would never harm to Kisara, not on his honor. "Don't even think about stealing stuff either!" He quickly added harshly before he left.

"FEH!"

Shinyu laughed closing the door behind him and stared down at the still unconscious werewolf, sighing as he kicked his friend's side.

"YEOW! What was that for! I'm dreaming! Great, now you're ruin my sweet dream." Yanji pouted, scowling at the rebel as he nursed the bruise on his side.

Shinyu make a face and rolled eyes. "If Toka were here, he would say too much information already." He joked, laughing as he walked past the werewolf and headed down the road. "Are you coming? Tell Zalo that I'm waiting for him in open field."

Yanji shook his head, "Nay. I'm going to see Lycan."

Shinyu blinked and turned his head to Yanji while he was walking. "Who's Lycan?"

Yanji startled by a question and stuttered, "W-w-well… He's…uh… brother! Yeah! My brother." He lied, grinning stupidly at the rebel. "I heard a beautiful lady's calling my name for me. See ya!" With this, he bolted leaving the dumbfounded, frowning rebel.

"Weird." The rebel mumbled to himself and shook his head, turned his head back to road again. "Some werewolves."

----

"We are not meant to be enemies, Zalo. We are meant to be great friends and we are destined to protecting the world from the dark forces. Like Xiaolin and Heylin are not meant to be enemies many years ago... since before the time of Lord Ariko and since before the time of the demons..." Shinyu whispered softly, smiling sadly at Zalo.

Zalo scoffed. "You think we will be friend with those dragons? In your dream!"

Silence between them and neither of them spoken to another as the silent wind blew the leaves past them, and the sound of the chirping from the small birds above them. Shinyu decided to change the subject; his dark forest eyes glazed at the symbol of Love and looked up at Zalo.

"Have you been fallen in love before?" Shinyu asked innocently, grinning when Zalo fell over stuttering in surprise and stared bewildering at him.

"Where did you get that idea!" Zalo yelled angrily, disliking what the moron was playing a game against him.

Shinyu shrugged his shoulders, looking at the clouds. "I have been dreamed of being fall in love with her. The way of her move is as grateful as white tiger... The mirror of her smile is like a sun shined upon me... Her eyes are like an sky of blue..."

Zalo groans in annoyingly, he knew that Brazilian/Chinese boy had been stuck in love and willing to follow her rather than followed their master. "Who is she, you love-stuck fool?"

"Kisara." Shinyu replied suddenly sighing sadly, avoiding his eyes from the red eyes of the Tiger of Metal.

Zalo frowned at him. "Kisara? As in the Xiaolin Dragon of Wind and the daughter of the Great Grandmaster of Spirit!"

Shinyu nodded slowly, looking away knowingly that ill-tempered man looks like as if his head would go set off in any moment when he was very angry.

"ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND! She is an enemy of our ancestors! Don't you even remember The Xiaolin Blue Dragon was the one who starts all the war?"

Shinyu mumbled under his breath. "But Heylin White Tiger did start it in first place...'" But Zalo ignored him, ranting goes on and on.

"She could fool you into loving her and she will even turned you against us! She could be the charming white witch." Zalo growled, turning back to and only to find Shinyu was not there. "Shinyu? Great, when I'm talking and even when they are not there!"

"Zalo! Over here!"

Zalo blinked, looking back to the lake and sees Shinyu waving at him, swimming in the cold lake. He sighed, shaking his head. "I have to go to mediating somewhere, Shinyu. Believe me, falling in love is a dangerous one even for an enemy to know the true weakness."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Blah, blah." Shinyu mocked, waving his hand at him and swim back to the middle of the lake.

Shinyu opened his dark green eyes and grinned at the small boy, Khu. "Khu, I believe you should go with him. In his mind, I do not want to know what happen to him when he's angry like that." He explained, swam back to the shore and picked up his shirt.

The boy nodded before he dashed back to where the idiot moron was in the direction.

Shinyu sighed as he flopped on the grass and closed his eyes, smiling under the sunlight. Suddenly, the cloud blocked out the sunlight and the quiet, calming lake turn into the loud, raging rise and fall like a tide.

The rebel opened his eyes quickly and sat up, gaping in surprise at the familiar demon rose upward from the lake. "Susku!" He exclaimed, realizing the demon knew of his betrayal…

Susku hissed in the dark blue and green scale-like sea snake at the rebel. "I knew it! You're betrayed your master!" The Ocean Demon chuckled darkly, lashed out his long, sharp tail at the rebel. "I'm being sent to end your life for once and all!"

Shinyu dodged the strike and rolled over the wet grass, nearly fell off his oh so called graceful balance. As at same time, Zalo dashed out of the forest into the field of the lake along with a boy.

Susku grinned down at Zalo, not realizing Yuiku leave as quickly as he could. Greeting to the Heylin Tiger of Metal, Susku sniggered loudly. "Ah, Zalo. You're the traitor now to our great master."

Zalo narrowed his crimson eyes at the ocean demon and scoffed, "So?"

Susku smiled evilly at Zalo with his own cold, blue eyes. "I know you're protecting the real traitor and the wench."

Zalo's eyes widened in surprise and stunned as the boy recovered quickly. "How did you know?" He yelled at the water demon.

Susku grinned so widened like a cat love tuna. "I can't say. Like us, demons, have a secret. Now, quit little chitchatting and it's time to kill!"

When the boy leaped in ready and to fight but Zalo stopped him, glaring down at the youth. "No. You must run, pest."

The youth glared back at Zalo. "No."

Zalo snarled and turned to the boy, grabbing his collar up and tossed him far into the forest, out of the reach, as he knew the boy can be safe as long as he was far away from the lake.

"IRON CLAWS!" Zalo yelled as the hand transformed into dark silver claws and he leaped on the demon's back, slicing through its scales.

The demon roared in pain and flickered Zalo away with its tail, drawing the small blood away from the cold-hearted warrior.

"Zalo!" Shinyu yelled, "Thunderbolt Explosive, Lightning!"

The demon cried out painfully as it was zapped with the golden lightning bolts and fell back into the lake.

As the rebel ran back to the wounded friend, Shinyu kneeled next to him. "Zalo, you're hurt!" He said, checking the small wound. "Good, it's only a scratch."

Zalo opened his brown-red eyes and glared at Shinyu. "Leave." He ordered quietly, clutching his slowly, bleeding chest.

Shinyu was taken back and stared confusedly at the silent, cold-hearted warrior. "Huh… What do you mean?" He asked narrowing his dark green eyes. "I'm not leaving you alone! Especially with the snake like him!"

Zalo closed his eyes and grunted angrily, "You are the target, you idiot! You could ever leave alive. I will meet you there in the mountain cave. I know where your bastard brother is…"

Shinyu looked down at the grass silently, knowing he could be happy if he found his older brother, but he can't leave Zalo no matter if his friend is a cold-hearted murderer. "Zalo…"

"LEAVE, DAMNIT!" Zalo bellowed angrily, weakly but strong shoved the rebel away toward the forest. "OR I WILL FORCE TO THROW YOU TO THE MOUNTAIN MYSELF!"

Green eyes flashed with determine and understanding, Shinyu quickly nodded knowing he had no choiceand dashed back into the forest.

Suddenly, he heard the demon roared and the first yelling with the earthquake shook itself with full of spikes…

He stopped his tracks and turned his head, the last thing he ever saw was Zalo was coiled tightly by the tail of a demon. "Zalo!" He screamed in surprise and horror, running back to Zalo.

Susku turned its snake-like head and hissed hungrily at Shinyu as the tail held Zalo tighter, cutting his air off.

The Heylin Tiger of Metal opened his brown-red eyes and glared at Shinyu. "Damn it…. Don't you hear me? LEAVE!" He yelled angrily, but weakly to the rebel.

"Rod of Lightning, Lightning!" Shinyu yelled, commanded the magical rod and zapped the demon.

The Ocean Demon cried out again, slowly sinking into the cold lake and opened his eyes. "I will not leave yet… even if I have to dragging you with me!" Susku hissed, grew his arms from his bodyand reached for Shinyu.

"NO!"

The spikes pieced through the demon's flesh, spitting the blood all over the lake and grass. The crimson-brown eyes flashed through the darkness, snarling lowly to the demon. "I'd rather die than let you kill Shinyu, you bastard!" Zalo hissed tiredly, stuck his Coyote's Dark Claw with his right fist into the sea serpent's flesh.

He was slowly, sinking along with the dead demon to the underneath of the lake, to his downfall, to his death…

"Zalo!" Shinyu yelled dashing over the lake and reached for Zalo's hand. "Grab my hand!"

The cold-hearted warrior's eyes darted back to Shinyu and to the rebel's hand. Reaching his hand out for Shinyu, but decided against it as he rejected Shinyu and held his fist to his chest. "Go!" Zalo hissed tiredly, staring unblinkingly at the young rebel. "I will meet you there… I promise you. I need to fight Xuan…"

"Zalo…" Shinyu started, but stopped himself. He watched Zalo disappeared into the lake along with the dead Ocean Demon. A few tears splashed onto the grass, he turned silently and walking through the forest.

_I don't understand you, Zalo… You sound like you want to keep yourself alive, yet you're sowillingly to die. _

The rebel opened his dark green eyes and stared at the mountain, frowning. The wind blew past his wild, brown hair; he stood on the cliff near the temple, wearing the trademark Heylin robe. "Brother…"

He lifted his right hand and clutched his palm into fist tightly; he closed his eyes and opened them again as he said to the air, "I will fight you for the sake of your life…"

Yet, he didn't know what's happening to between his allies and the demons…

Including his older brother could be the one who still struggling to get away from the spirit's claws… Even if it means for giving up his life…

**End of Chapter 4 **

* * *

Me: Oooh! It could be means there's a real battle scene coming! (grin) Maybe we can found out what happening before and after Shinyu and Xuan (or as spirit in host's body)'s battles.

Shinyu: (roll eyes) Please reviews and thank you, all folks!


	6. Make An Alliance

Me: (rubs her head) It seems when I finally realized I made little confusion to you. I made a few errors on my OC's genders.--;; I should let you know what their genders.

---

**Xiaolin Dragons**

Dashi – Of course, you knows. (laughs) (Xiaolin Leader - Second Grandmaster – Dragon of Spirit)

Kisara – Female (Dragon of Wind)

Aaku – Male (Dragon of Earth)

Yuiku – Male (Dragon of Water)

Toka – Male (Dragon of Fire)

Zen – Male (Dragon of Soul)

Xiao Lin – Male (First Grandmaster - Died – Dragon of Spirit)

**Heylin Tigers**

Shinyu – Male (Tiger of Lightning)

Zalo – Male (Died - Tiger of Metal)

Yanji – Male (Tiger of Shadow)

Roba – Female (Tiger of Light)

Jiro – Female (Tiger of Wood)

Xuan – Male (Banished – Tiger of Darkness)

Hey Lin – Female (Unknown - First Grand-mistress - Tiger of Ice)

---

Me: (rubs her forehead) I'm bit tired now. I'm switching two different places – Shinyu's POV and Yanji's POV in a whole one chapter. Oh, You must still watch out for Zalo's colorful swearing. Xuan?

Xuan: (startled) Yea?

Me: Disclaimer, please.

Xuan: (nod) Disclaimer: Lady Lizgon does not own Xiaolin Showdown and its characters but her sheng-gong-wu and her ideas. Oh and she don't own the legends of Four Celestials and the other creatures from the _What's Beyond the Light_ too.

Me: (yawned) Onto the story!

* * *

**Chapter 5 – Make An Alliance**

The wind blew past the leaves, the birds chirping in the tree, the small animals scattered all through the woods, and the small temple was finally rebuild after a month of ex-grandmaster's death and the Four Celestials' wraths.

Last night after Zalo's death, Shinyu had sneaked in the Dark Lord's dark temple and stolen the Reserving Mirror. And then in next morning, he returned to the new rebuild Xiaolin Temple and active the wu to restored all allies' memories. The Heylin Tiger of Lightning still had long explanation to all Xiaolin Dragons but his wife about the Dark Lord who is really a demon possessed in his brother's body and the Four Beasts. Slowly, piece-by-piece, they remembered who is their ally and who is their enemy.

Peace had finally returned to village, sadly, it's only a short…

Suddenly, a loud voice shook the temple and small village. "WHAA_AAAAAAAAA_AT?"

Black eyes blinking twice, Toka's fists slammed onto the table. "What did you mean, he's dead! When and how?" He yelled, disbelieving what he had heard from his rival.

Sighing heavily, the rebel rubbed his forehead tiredly. "Zalo died last night fighting against Susku, the Ocean Demon." He replied looking up at the hothead warrior. "And I killed that demon. Now there are three demons left."

"Ah'm sure they do, Shinyu. And where's that darn werewolf?" A heavy southwestern accent voice startled few Heylin Tigers.

Shinyu turned his head and cocked to side, sighing as he noted the Xiaolin Dragon of Earth was sitting at the end of the table eating the beefy ribs. "Aaku. Yanji's back to his pack, something about Lycan I think." He mumbled struggling his shoulders uninterestingly, lifted his long legs and rested them on the table while his arms behind his head.

Roba remained silently, looking down at the plate while she was holding the precious, rounded mirror in her hands. She already grew up and become more a woman, rather than a warrior.

"Shinyu."

Shinyu blinked and looked back to the second grandmaster, his old buddy. "Dashi…" He acknowledged wondering what the monk wanted from him.

The monk stared silently at the rebel before he turned and walked out of the meeting room. "Meet me at my mediating room." Everyone stared confusedly at the empty spot where the monk was stood by the doorway and then at Shinyu.

Shinyu blinked again and sighed. _Here I go again… _

------

Blood splashing all over on the grass, the gray wolf panted heavily with crimson dripped from his canine mouth. It opened its dark gray eyes and glared tiredly at the demon.

The woman grinned evilly back at the wounded wolf, her long fingers wrapping around the green vines around.

"Meku…" The gray wolf coughed some speckles of blood on the grass and growled weakly, struggling to get up. "You said you knew where Lycan is… I thought… The Balance took him away from us…"

The Forest Demoness smirked, "Of course… I lied. Have you heard of your friend, Zalo, hmmm?" She asked smiling as her light green and yellow eyes.

The gray wolf looked up in surprise and confused. "Zalo…?" Of course, he hated Zalo because of all whole mutt nickname thing, but still he knew Zalo as one of Shinyu's friends and still treated him as his friend as well.

Meku chuckled lightly, "He's dead. One of my siblings killed him."

The gray wolf froze as he heard about the strong, reckless, stonehearted teenage boy died fighting against one of the Four Beasts… "No." He whispered, stumped onto the grass bleeding slowly. "He can't be dead. He's too strong for this…"

As he remembered how he had first met Shinyu, Xuan, and Zalo when he was in teen stage…

_Flashback_

_The 114 years old, small werewolf, as humans could recognized him as 14 years old teen with dog ears and long tail, running for his life, munching a piece of meat happily as the cook shouting angrily after him._

"_GET BACK YOU MUTT!" The cook yelled, shaking his fist wildly as the werewolf howled laughing. "GIMME MY MEAT BACK!" _

_He turned his head to the cook, still running forward. "Oh yea? Well, here is yours!" He chucked the bone at the cook and chuckled as the bone bonked off the cook's head, knocking him out cold._

_Still running away from the cook, he turned back still grinning and he turned the left until…_

_WHA—AM!_

"_OW!"_

"_WHAT THE FUCK?" _

"_Wha--?" _

"_Hn…"_

_The werewolf sit up looking dazed and shook his head, blinking at the three 16 years old humans in front of him. The light brown haired boy with dark green eyes blinking and rubbed his head painfully, the dark brown haired boy with amethyst eyes silently, looking bored at his brother and his friend. 'The last one… the scary-looking purple haired with weird eyes… oh, look at veins. One… Two… Four… Errr… six, seven? Ten boiling, angry veins…' The werewolf thought to himself, blinking again. _

"_DAMN YOU FUCKIN' FLIHTY MUTT!" _

'_Eh… so such colorful language… Oh, look at the red beet face… It's not good.' The young werewolf laughed silently, knowing he was as good as dead by now. _

"_Zalo…" _

_The red-eyed hotheaded boy turned around sharply, glaring deadly at the amethyst-eyed calming, lightheaded boy held the china teacup in his hand. "WHAT?"_

_The calm boy held the teacup to Zalo. "Calm down, or popping your veins aren't going to help your boiling head." He said, turned to the startled werewolf. "I'm Xuan Pedsora. This is Shinyu, my brother and this hothead idiot is Zalo." _

"_Hey!" Zalo growled, crossing his arms and scowled darkly at Xuan who ignored his silent threat, waiting patiently. "What's your name?" He asked, looking down at the dazed werewolf. _

_The werewolf blinked and grinned goofy at them. "Yanji Wolf." _

_As now they had become friends, as poor Zalo was still not happy to having the new pup added to their group…_

_Two years later…_

_116 or '16' years old Yanji crawled slowly on the branch, grinning lecherously to himself as he peeped through leaves and smirked as he spotted the naked ladies bath in the hot spring. "Heheh… It's going to be sweet!" He whispered quietly, still grinning like an idiot. _

_Crack… _

_He chuckled suddenly stopped; his smile wiped and replaced it with a confused frown. "What was that…?"_

_Crack…_

_He turned around and his dark gray eyes widened in horror when he realized it was the branch… and the same branch he was on! "No, no, no…" He whispered panicking as he lunged for the second branch. _

_Sadly, he failed as the branch he was standing on giveaway and he fell straight into the spring where the ladies were bathing in. _

_SPLAAAASH!_

_The werewolf coughed some water out of his mouth and blinked as the angry ladies glaring deadly at him with only one thing he knew and it'll be on his grave. "Hehe… Hello ladies?" He chuckled nervously, waving at them. _

_Silence_

"_LECHER!" _

"_PERV!" _

"_PERVERT!" _

"_LECHEROUS MUTT!" _

_The birds were startled by the screams and flew out of the woods in fear of stay inthe woodswhile there'sfull of angry girls in the springwith the poor werewolf..._

"_HAVE A MERCY!" _

_A few hours later…_

_Zalo sipped the sake and blinked in surpriseat the werewolf, with a huge bumps on his head,entered in the sake hut, clutching his head in dazed state. "Looks like you got your butt kicked, Mutt." He said amused, raising an eyebrow at Yanji. "What did you do? Peeking under few girls' skirt again?" _

"_No… worse." Yanji mumbled darkly, let his head fall onto the table with a dull thud. "I was going to peek the girls in spring and the branch snapped." _

_Zalo blinked and stared. Eh? He blinked again. Spring? Branch snapped? _

_Silence… so quiet in the sake hut, everyone could heard the cricket chirping outside. _

"_BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" The cold-hearted warrior laughed heartily, banging his fist against the table and tears in his eyes seem barely holding back. "Oh man! I should have known! Jiro's not going to be happy, no, she's pissed when she found out you're one of our team as well!" _

_Yanji blinked confusedly at him, he had never heard the cold-hearted sword-fighter laughed before. "You're laughing?" _

_Silence again._

_A few minutes passed. _

"_Do tell and you're dead street dog." _

_Yanji's confused face fell. At least he relieved that his friend's back to normal again. "Geez… I feel so unloved." _

"_Shut up."_

_Silence again. _

"_Argh! Aren't you saying something, the silence started getting to me!" Yanji whined, yanking his white hair and his ears pinned back in anger. _

_Zalo opened one of his eyes and glared at the werewolf. "…Yanji…" _

_Silence. Yanji turned his head and gawking at the warrior. "You called my name, not Mutt! Whoa! Your head's screw loose again. First laughing, and now you're called my name!" _

_Zalo let out a growl as warning in his voice. "Mutt…"_

_Yanji's shoulders stumped in defeated. "Oh, you're back again." He said pouted, crossing his arms and lend back against the chair. _

"_Mutt," Zalo said closing his eyes again, "Don't tell Shinyu, I'm planning to do something…I must do the first thing." _

_Yanji's long ears perked up. "Huh? What are you talking about, Zally?"_

_Zalo opened his eyes and looked back to the window, watching the raining. "I have a feeling… that I'm the first to go… soon or later… It did not matter now, Xuan's had to be the first I want to fight." _

"…" _Yanji looked down at the sake he was holding. "Why Xuan?" _

_Zalo remained quietly, continued watching the outside and his chin rest on his palm. "Xuan is the one who beats me in the showdown… He's the worth opposite I had ever had and fight against him. He's like the older brother I never had…" He closed his eyes. "I wanted to defeat him, to know I'm still… strong and well being worth to fight against him…" _

"_What if it's too late for you?" _

_Crimson eyes turned to the soft, dark gray eyes; Zalo frowned at the question as he held the sake in his hands. "It's not too late and I know it. But… I can't change what the fate was decided for me." _

"_You're fighting for nothing because you're going to die first…" _

_Zalo smirked. "I won't fight for nothing… I won't give up fighting yet… I'll rather fighting to death and I'm still fighting no matter whether I'm dead or not." His eyes flashed with determine and hardened. "I'm not letting the death claimed me. I'd rather let it dragging me kicking and biting to my doom."_

_Yanji smiled softly, "What about Shinyu…?" _

_Silence. _

"_Don't tell him. He will go after me. I'm not let him die after me." _

"… _Alright…" Yanji replied softly, staring down at the brown liquid in the bottle. "Very well then..." He drank his sake again. _

_Yanji knew Zalo's too determine and stubborn warrior, he's fighting to death. He didn't know Zalo's going to fighting through his death, saving his rival's young brother's life until it is too late for him to stop him from opening the death door._

_Zalo was right about one thing… he can't change what the fate was decided for him… _

_Flashback ended. _

Yanji closed his dark gray eyes as he waited for the final blow. _I should have known that you're willing took a risk and go along what you're heading for… _

_Zalo… _

Suddenly, the blow was blocked with something he can't quite located as he reopened his dark gray eyes and blinked confusedly at the were-fox. "Reiko…?"

"Yanji! Sekhmet, take him to our base now!" Reiko yelled, locking fists with the angry forest demoness.

The were-cat landed on the ground next to Yanji and carried him on her shoulder. "You're going to be alright, Yanji…Your grandfather's waiting for you."

Yanji closed his eyes and sighed in relief… His friends were still waiting for him… no matter he was join in the human side… "You two… are still… here for me… Of course… ladies loved me."

"Hn! Of course, you dummy goofball!" Sekhmet humphed, rolling her eyes as she ran to the rather large winged serpent. "…ACK!" She yelped as she dropped the grinning werewolf on the winged serpent's back and glared deadly at him. "You… You… YOU GROPED MY BUTT! LECHER!"

WHA—ACK!

"OWCH!" Yanji yelped in pain, rubbing his cheek as the angry, red mark left on his left cheek and he pouted at the were-cat. "I can't help, but your butt seem so… perfect and round…"

"Ugh! Perv!"

SLAP!

"OWCH!

------

Few minutes later…

Back to Mediating Room

Shinyu stared blankly at the monk's back and crossed his arms across his chest, looking down at the ground, and back to the monk's back again.

"Do you think giving up our power when we are going to die during the war to next new generation?" He asked, glancing at the powerful warrior monk.

"Yes. I'm certain it would work if Jiro can find the way to pass our powers down to our children's children and their children." He replayed, flinging in the black chest and refusing to look up at the rebellious warrior.

"… What… what about her?" The rebellious warrior asked, remembering the young blond teenager with the light hazel eyes.

"She's sleeping in her coffin, her power sealed in the orb. After being sealed in her sleep, she unable to passed her power down to her generation." The monk answered as he finally looked up at the cold green eyes of the rebellious warrior he was once knew him as a carefree, unselfish boy.

"You mean… there will be no more the chosen child of Immortal?" He exclaimed, looking surprised.

"The same thing with Xiao Lin. His spirit unable to pass his powers to another generation." The monk sighed, messaging his temper. Xiao Lin's young sister was heartbroken and being sleeping her life away in the coffin.

"What if Ariko knows about this… our powers will be reincarnated to another descendants..." The brunette rebel asked, frowning as his face betrayed his fear.

"…."

"Goddamnit… Dashi…" He growled, running his fingers through his messy brown hair and glaring deadly at the monk.

"There must be a chance…" Dashi replied quietly holding up his chin with his fist looking thoughtful on his face.

"What…" He asked, staring misunderstanding at the Grandmaster monk.

"Your son, Shinyu… he had a great power that you and my sister created together. You must send her and her unborn child away as long as Ariko won't find her." Dashi said to the rebel, turning his head to the object sits in the black chest.

"But that didn't stop him from finding Alvaro, Dashi!" Shinyu barked angrily, narrowing his cold green eyes at the monk.

"Oh, is that so?" Dashi amused, handling the object to him and let him to take a good look at it.

"What is it, a black orb?" Shinyu asked, blinking at the black orb and frowned at the monk. "Don't tell me you're making another magical item again, do you?"

Dashi shook his head, grinning at his old friend. "No, this is not sheng-gong-wu. This is Orb, my friend, the Chaos of Orb."

"What did it does." Shinyu asked, looking back at the beautiful but deadly orb. "Don't tell me it suppose to unleashed its deadly force upon the world?"

Dashi chuckled, shaking his head again amusing at the rebel's sarcastic remark. "You're always acting as if there is the end of the world. Well, it isn't. This orb is only to trapping the enemy inside for eternal years, unlike the puzzle box I did to Wuya."

Shinyu cocked his head to the side, grinning cockily at the monk. "I didn't think so. The little kiddo you say from the future saying that Wuya was unleashed in the future. Seeing him screaming while running around you when he found out he can't return to the future is quite amusing sight."

Dashi rolled his eyes, looking amused as he remembered the little monk with huge head of course. "At last he finally snap out of it when he listens to my advice. Trust me, this one will work."

Shinyu looked uncertain. "I hope so." He mumbled under his breath as he turned to the window. "Damn… where's that horny werewolf?"

Dashi shrugged his shoulders as he tucked the orb in this pocket. "Believe me… Gather what allies you have left in other countries. I'm going to ride Dojo and find Zen and Master Guan."

Shinyu nodded. "Where our meeting will be?"

The monk stopped at the doorway, pausing as if he was thinking quietly and replied, not looking back to the rebel. "The cliff… near our temple… Good-bye."

As he left Shinyu alone in the Mediating Room, staring at the doorway and turned back to the window, watching the raining banging against the glass as he scowled darkly at the mist-clouded window.

He hated the rain, yet he's Tiger of Lightning he's suppose to control over the weather…

Something caught his dark green eyes, he watched quietly at the white spot roamed past the forest. "Byakko…" He whispered quietly, wondering how it was possible for a great god to be seen by a human…

And he did not realize the white tiger was bleeding… Even as a God, the wind, metal and lightning wielder can be bleed like a mortal…

**End of Chapter 5 **

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Me: (wince) Byakko is an celestial God of the West can be bleed, no matter he's an immortal… Wonders what happen to him? It could be Seiryu…or someone else? 

Reiko: Excuse me before you're asking all readers with your questions, even if you knowswhat's going on. (glared at me)

Me: (laugh nervously) Um… right… Read and reviews please, thank you! (ran off)

Reiko: Hey! Get back! (run after me)


	7. Run, Tiger, Run!

Me: ¬¬ Drats, one of my stories got banned…. Oh well, it didn't matter anyway… To answer to previous questions for my former story…. "Ancestor's Advices". Here the letters are for you, Ancestors!

**Kosmic: **

Evila: Zalo tell me about your past life. Wait it has to be in a

question form. Zalo will you please tell me about your past life?

Hope: Yanji have you ever wanted to kiss Zalo? If so tell me why.

Mea: Shinyu if you had a wish what would it be and why?

Zalo: (scowls) Before or after I met Xuan and Shinyu? Well, let's say it wouldn't get too pretty if you knew about my past life.

Yanji: Actually,it'spart of little "accident" assassination in his "dark" past life.

Zalo: Shut up, mutt.

Yanji: Touché… (scooted away from Zalo) If youreally wants to know, then you'll have toread next chapter. (winks secretly)(to Hope) Me. Kiss. Zalo? Blech! (shook head) He'd kill me before I could do that!

Shinyu: (smiled at Mea) If I had a wish, then it would be for the war to stop and came back to peace once again.

Me: Okay, next questions! (read next letter) It's from dArkliTe-sPirit! (look at Shinyu and Kisara) Her muse, Roni, had a question for you two!

**dArkliTe-sPirit: **Roni: Mind if I ask a questions?

Shinyu: (shook head) No, we won't mind, Roni. At all.

Kisara: (nod in agreement) What is it, Roni? (waits for rely back)

Me: Okay, back to story. (claps) Disclaimer, please.

Xuan: (nod) Disclaimer: Lady Lizgon does not own Xiaolin Showdown and its characters but her sheng-gong-wu and her ideas. Oh and she don't own the legends of Four Celestials and the other creatures from the _What's Beyond the Light_ too.

Me: (yawned) Onto the story!

* * *

**Chapter 6 – Run, Tiger, Run!**

Shinyu take a stroll to the forest where the last time he had saw the wounded celestial. So he went to looking for the tiger, but after few hours he can't find him. Running through the wild, brown hair, he sighed and turned around.

But…

Something caught his eyes as he turned his head to the direction and saw the small pool of crimson. He paused for a minute, staring down quietly at the crimson puddle. "…" He said nothing as he followed the trail of blood through the woods.

Until then he stopped at the end of the trail and frowned at it, "…" He blinked slowly and lifted his head to the shadow shape near the wood growling softly at the approached human.

"You're wounded, aren't you?" He replied, as though he knew it wasn't a question directly to the white celestial. "But, how…" He asked as he stepped toward the wounded tiger.

The tiger slowly lifted his giant head, locked his jade eyes to the human's dark green eyes and the rebel stopped his track when he saw the tiger's eyes.

It was something in the celestial's eyes…

So much rage, sorrowful… and pain, not of wound… but of something he regrets in his past. Something caused him so injured and miserable from whatever he fought against.

"Byakko…" Shinyu said softly as he watched the white tiger shrugging to get up slowly from the ground and turned around limping away into the darkness of the woods. "…"

_I remember a tale once Xuan told me; an immortal cannot be killed by a mortal… but can be killed by another immortal. I know it can't be Seiryu… _He thought, staring at the darkness where the white celestial left. _Or it could be someone so powerful than him?_

_Byakko…_

His head lowered a little and covering his face with his few bangs as he turned and walked back the same direction he had came from. He walked silently, thinking back to the tiger's expression. _He's determined to get back at something…or rather, someone. Perhaps, it is important to him and he keeps going on. _

A small smile on his face as he disappeared into the darkness. _Best of luck, Byakko…_

Meanwhile, a white tiger ran, or rather, half-running and half-limping toward the West. Until he reached the entrance of the White Temple of West, he collapsed on the ground growling in pain. As the black clouds started raining upon on the wounded celestial, making him look like a glowing white spirit lie on the pool of blood.

_Seiryu… _The white celestial paused thought of his brother, a great rival, a blue celestial, a blue dragon. _Why…? _

_Why are you saving my life, Seiryu? Why you asked me to leave you? _

_(Flashback) _

_The crimson liquid splashed on the dark, drenched grass as the blue dragon collapse on the ground panting heavily, the blood dripping from his lips. _

_The white tiger stood from the distance, staring almost pityingly at the sapphire celestial as blood dripping from his white furs. "This had to be end now, Celestial of East!" He snarled, stepped painfully forward without a flinch. "If we continues this, there will be no left to protect the innocents of the world!" _

_The blue dragon jerked up and his dull, cold blue eyes glared sharply at the white tiger. "It didn't matter whoever protecting the weakling humans… Unlike you, I don't show merciful to those power-hungry, greedy humans!" _

_Jade eyes narrowed at the blue celestial, the white tiger turned slowly around and limped away from the wounded dragon. "It's over now…Seiryu." _

_Seiryu hissed angrily, spiting some of blood upon the floor in front of him and struggled to standing up. "Byakko… these filthiest weaklings make you weak! Turn around and fight me! Fight me!" He roared stomping his claws onto the floor, shattering some of materials into pieces. "Damnit, fight me you coward!" _

_The pink petals drifting around the two bleeding celestials stood on the crimson tainted grass, the white tiger stopped his track, staring ahead at the entrance of the gate silently. _

_Seiryu bared his sharpest fangs at the tiger's back, blood dripping from his fangs and lips. "Why are you walking away from me, Byakko? Don't you learn from the Master? Never turn your back against your enemy!" He argued, narrowing his dull, lifeless blue eyes. "Answer me, damn you!" _

_The tiger did not respond to the dragon's demand, instead of respond his question; he looked up at the sky with full of sparkling blue stars. "Violence against another is never an answer to the problem. Killing is not my style, only to protect the innocents even if it means I have to kill an enemy."_

_He turned his feline head back to the wounded dragon with surprisingly tears clouded in his jade eyes. "I will not allow you to punish them again. They're only just humans, Seiryu, they deserved to live in peaceful. I must go find whoever unleashed the great evil and killed him along with a host." _

"_What if…" Seiryu chuckled weakly, titled his head upward at the sky. "What if a host's a human, you said yourself you can't kill an human just like you can't kill a small rabbit." _

_The diamond celestial said nothing, simply watching sadly at the wounded dragon and closed his jade eyes. "I know. One day we will meet again, Seiryu." He turned around and walked through the entrance of the gate of the Temple of East as the sun rising slowly behind the mountains. "Farwell, Brother of East."_

_The dragon stared half-weakly and half-rage at the tiger's back as his bleeding claws clutched around the rock tightly and shattered it into pieces. Suddenly, something moved quickly in the forest caught his blue eyes and he saw the sharp weapon toward the white tiger who unaware of himself in danger. _

"_BYAKKO!" He roared pushing himself upward as the pieces of rocks went flying around him. "BYAKKO, NO!" _

_In slow motion, the feline's head turned slowly and his jade eyes reflected the silver sword toward him, aimed for his head. An attacker swung the sword upward and then he swung it down toward the white celestial's head. _

_Jade eyes widened in shock and surprise as the blade reflected his life and then the white flashed in the background, the blood split in the air and a gasp of pain._

_Back to normal motion… _

_The dragon shuddered and silent, stumped forward and collapsed on the already blood dyed grass as he coughed some blood and turned his head back to the attacker. His dull, blue eyes dilated at the sight of a familiar attacker. "Young Xuan… So it's true…" He coughed, wiping his blood off his lips with his scale paw's back. "You did set that bastard free, brat." _

_Byakko stepped back, narrowed his jade eyes at the human held the blood-tainted sword and he recognized the sword. "Shadow Blade… I see." He looked up at the human and frowned. "Seiryu, it's not Xuan we once know him as a infant…" _

"_Huh?" Seiryu cocked his head at Byakko and frowned. "What do you mean by he's not Xuan?" _

"_He's here. Our dear brother is here." Byakko said softly, stepped toward the human. "Ariko, I see the years hadn't been so kind to you. How long it had been since we last saw each other? 2,000? 6,000? 8,000" _

_A human smirked slowly, "Actually, 10,000 years of darkness since our last battle, Diamond Celestial… Sapphire Celestial." Growling, the blue dragon stood up on his four legs and glaring darkly at the human. _

_Byakko lifted his feline-like head and locked the human's eyes with his own eyes. "I see." He silently bared his fangs at the human as the human lifted his head in time for a sacred feline to see his eyes. "Ten thousand years of long dark battle between us, Serpent… Amethyst Celestial." _

_Dull, golden eyes like a snake in the darkness, the human smirked. "It had been long since I heard my former title. Before dear Master banished me for my so called sin, even if it weren't for you, Seiryu, I would finished what I started." _

_Long, blue tail whipped onto the ground, the blue dragon roared angrily at the human. "You destroyed people along with Atlantic! You caused my element flooded upon Atlantic to the bottom of underwater!" _

_The spirit in the human chuckled darkly, "Too bad for them. Funny, you know they called me known as "Leviathan" as a sea serpent. Interesting name, oh so called brother?" The blue dragon gritted his sharp fangs, glowering darkly at his half-brother serpent spirit in the human's body. _

_The spirit continued, ignoring the blue dragon, smiled coldly at the white tiger as he held the Shadow Blade. "I'm sure you remember the sword, Byakko." He replied when the white tiger narrowed icily back at him. "Just like this boy I'm possessed in, he had a young brother who possessed the brother of my sword. The Sword of Storm, the one can't kill flesh." _

"_So you're corrupted your sword so it can allow to kill an immortal…or more like an god?" Byakko replied coldly, "I understood what are you planned to. You used this boy and his element…you take advantage of his feelings against another by killing… just like you killed our old friend, Xiao Lin. Why is that?" _

_The human scoffed softly, stepped forward as the blue dragon stepped back, growling quietly. "Because," He narrowed the dull, amber eyes at them. "You two are in my way. I must get rid of you two." _

_And then, he chuckled again as he looked up at the sky. "I see, you are wounded that gecko, are you not?" _

"_Hey!" Seiryu snapped feeling insulted, glared darkly at the spirit. _

_The spirit looked back to the white celestial and pointed at him with a sword. "You are the first, Byakko, to die with your love, Suzuki and your other friend, Genbu." _

"_Wait a second! You killed Red Phoenix and Black Tortoise!" Seiryu yelled in surprise, stepped backward while stood up with his back legs. "Can't be!" _

"_Ah, Ruby Celestial and Spinel Celestial." The spirit smirked widened evilly, "Poor dear bird girl died of flames. And that weak turtle, you say? He can't survive in the fires as well as his beloved love, that white snake, ha!"_

"_You…!" The blue Dragon growled, but he was silenced by the white Tiger's huge paw. "Byakko…?" _

_Byakko narrowed his jade eyes at the spirit in human's body. "Let young Xuan go, Ariko. I beg of you, please let him go back to his sibling." _

"_Go back to his sibling? Ha! How sad." The dark spirit opened his amber eyes and narrowed icily at the white tiger's jade eyes. "This one doesn't want to join with his sibling because of his jealous of his…acceptance by a temple monk." _

_He placed his palm on the sword's hilt and smiled icily at the white tiger. "Too bad, he can't be a true Tiger of Darkness, he could be great leader of the Tigers." He paused. "What if the Tigers clan is no longer exist, instead it will be Serpent clans…"_

_Suddenly, the human vanished before two celestials could blink._

_The blue dragon jerked back as his blue eyes widened when he realized and turned his dragonish head toward back to the white feline. "Byakko!"_

_The white tiger stepped back as his small ears pinned back and his jade eyes darted back and forth in search of a spirit in human's body. Where?_

"_DIE, YOU FELINE!" The human yelled, unsealed the sword from its sheath and held the shadow sword above his head as he was in the air right above the white tiger's head. "SHADOW BLADE DARKNESS CYCLONE!" _

"_Byakko!" Seiryu roared, forcing himself to run after the white tiger in the slow motion. _

_Suddenly, the world turned into darkness and sliced by a dark sapphire lightning as the crimson splashed on the soaked grass and on the temple floor. _

_Jade eyes widened and then his eyes become watery, clouded with disbelief, the white tiger with crimson tainted on his white furs as he held the badly bleeding dragon on his shoulder and in his arms. "…Seiryu…?" _

"_Go…" The blue dragon said harshly, wincing as he moved away from the white tiger and glared weakly at the human landed on the ground in few yard away from the celestials. _

"_But…" _

"_LEAVE!" Seiryu snapped, baring his fangs as he smacked the white tiger with his long tail to send him fly backward into the forest. "Run, Tiger, Run!" _

_Byakko nodded quickly, turning around and flee from the battle. It was the last thing he heard the final roar from the dragon and the final cry of battle from the human… The light shined brightly and then it disappeared slowly, as the white tiger watched from the far distance. _

_The giant feline lowered his cat-like head in shame and sorrowful until he bellowed loudly like a real tiger. He wept bitterly and snapped his jade eyes opened in anger as the sun disappeared behind the clouds. _

"_ARIKO!" _

_(Flashback end) _

Jade eyes slowly closed, the giant feline lowered his head onto the floor as the twist snapped, waking him up. He lifted his head barely, narrowing his jade eyes at the forest while rain soaked his white furs. "Who's there?" He demanded, baring his fangs at the unseen figure in the forest.

The unseen figure stepped forward, letting a small dimmed light on the face. A native from another land with a long stick with a familiar blue white orb as the white tiger sighed in relief, knowing it's not sinful spirit he had to face while he was wounded badly.

"Zen…"

---

The black figure stood on the highest stone-like cliff, watching at the full moon. The pale moonlight shined on the red symbol of half-moon and a dot on the figure's forehead, including the red twin slit on each under his eyes.

His name is Zhai.

Opening his light gold eyes, he ran his long, slender fingers through his long, light brown hair. "Tch… This is big mess than I have ever seen in my life." He replied dryly, glancing around the rubbles of stones or what had been left of the stone guardians.

Zhai hummed as he crossed his arms across his chest with black leather and chinese-style royal blue robes. His amber eyes moved down to his pocket where the letter was stuck out easily seen from inside. _I received a letter from him…it's been a five years since I saw my twin… _His expression softened at the memory of his only sibling as the flashback of his memory ran through his mind.

_(Flashback)_

_In theFeudal Era, Japan…_

_His father was a Chinese solider… He fought a ninja in the forest until the blue mask came off from the ninja's face; he saw a beautiful Japanese woman. They married each other and had two sons… the one studied the sword training… and another studied the shaolin training… Both learned how to defend themselves in martial arts by the same teacher, Xia Shu, one of the best swordsman and a martial arts fighter._

_Three years later, there was the attack of dark army from the greedy lord who want the power over the land of poor. The twin siblings are only five years old and have no idea what's going on. _

_His father was slain because he refused the offer from the high Japanese solider and said he'd rather to die than to live to serve under the likes of the monster like him. And then…_

_He disappeared that night… and next morning, there was all left of him… his head on the pike…when the snow began… _

_One of the twin siblings was in shock to saw him in so horrendous state, he does not want to see him… his twin brother trembling behind his back, not knowing if whether he should be angry at the people who killed his father or cry for his father's death. _

_After his father's death, the mother and the twin siblings ran away from the home to the place where they should feel safe. The mother took the one of the twin with her and another went with Xia Shu. _

_Until then, five years later, Zhai grew up and about the same time as Xia Shu was injured from the fight, he was a blind, but he still able to fight with his only non-killing sword. He made eight powerful weapons, each power for the special warriors. _

_And then five years later, Zhai noticed the mythical box and asked his master what is this box for. And his master replied, it is what a warrior should see beyond the box, not see what he desired to see. Until then, the dark soldiers busted in his dojo and demand the great powerful weapons._

_Xia Shu replied, "No. You shall not touch the great things you will not possess, not especially the likes of the greedy monsters like you! The four of Wu Dai Weapons should not be used for greed and power! Only for protect for the love ones and defeat the great evil!"_

_He held up the mythical box, the purple-pink swirling of wind lit up around his body and the box. The box snapped opening, glowing with pink light blinding all of people except for the blind swordsman. The blue, green, red and white glowing four weapons. The blue sword, the red birds, the green boomerang, and the white staff floated around the mythical box. _

_With a huge, white-blue light exploded, the soldiers were suddenly on the ground unconsciously… but young Zhai with another four weapons was unharmed from the light. _

"_Master Xia Shu?" He called out to no one; his palms slapped on the softened, green grass, but he felt something solid and looked down at the four items._

_A sea serpent's scale, a feline's eye, a bull's head, and a blue crest… _

_There is no sight of Xia Shu… So are four Wu Dai weapons and the mythical box either… _

"_Master…" He whispered quietly, stared in awe at the powerful items. A minute passed away, he collected them in the sack and walked heading for the northeaster of the China… to see his master's old friends… Master Seth and Grandmaster Xiao Lin._

_Few month later, he received his twin's first favorite raven with a message scroll and found out their mother was ill._

_Very ill… _

_He wasn't there when their mother was sick… He wasn't there when she died… He wasn't there when his twin grew up lonely… _

_He wasn't there when there are several battles against the witch Wuya… _

_He wasn't there when his twin was corrupted by a dark emotion and destroyed the Temple of South. _

_He'd never be there for his sibling until now… in this time, he will be there by his side, ever and forever. _

_That's his promise he will not betrayed his twin. _

_(Flashback end)_

A loner stared down at the letter in his right hand and suddenly his hand clutched the paper, not caring how ruin the scroll must be look like. "And I will be bond to my word…as always..."

The creepy wind sweeping through his hair, as the way it was held up in high ponytail style, he jerked to the sound of the branch snapped behind his back. "Who's there?" He demanded harshly as his hand reached for the sword on his belt.

"Zhai…" A soft, yet cold voice came from behind the forest startled the swordsman.

His light gold eyes widened at the way his name was spoken. _Can't be… I remember the voice… _He slowly turned around in the slow motion and stared at the dark gold eyes with slit-like pulps.

**End of Chapter 6**

**

* * *

**

Me: (grin) Cliffy again.

Reiko: ¬¬ Looks like you're in good mood.

Me: Yep! (to readers) Please read and reviews, thank you! (bowed)

Reiko: (yawns) How long when the boring war end?

Me: (shrug)


	8. A Legendary General

Me: SORRY! It took me a long time to look at time line. (sweatdrop) Okay, now it's time for you all to learn about what happen to Yanji when he left Shinyu on his journey and his life in his clan. Okay, back to story. (claps) Disclaimer.

Yanji: (rushed up and flashed a lecher---er---charming grin at all ladies) Disclaimer: Lady Lizgon does not own Xiaolin Showdown and its characters but her sheng-gong-wu and her ideas. Oh and she don't own the legends of Four Celestials and the other creatures from the _What's Beyond the Light_ too.

Me: (yawned) Onto the story!

* * *

**Chapter 7 – A Legendary General **

…

…

…

After the white lycanthrope left Shinyu in the hut bar, he returned to the Eastern clan. He sighed in relief as he plopped onto the strange-looking nest-like seat ignoring his second-in-command Solider Roki.

"Where's the human?" Solider Roki asked his amber eyes landing on the tired-looking general. "Isn't he with you, General Yanji?"

Yanji laughed, scratching his new haircut hair. "No. I just…sort of lied to him…really." He said knowing the guilt started taking over inside him. "I didn't think Shinyu would handle our other war. Damn… He just had a war himself already."

Solider Roki sighed. "I seriously doubt it. I mean, General Yanji, I believe there is only one war. It's snake scum who started it all."

Yanji silently looking at the flaming pit with a thoughtful look and then he glanced over to his ol' friend. "Well, Roki. That bastard got a Balance to work with him. I wasn't sure about if Balance's good or not. Heck, Balance's no human like that snake scum."

Roki nodded as he leaned back against the stonewall and lifted his bare feet onto the stone table. "Lycan told us that Vampire-bastard who killed his pap. Poor Sekhmet, huh. Her master Chief Wolf suddenly murdered on that spot." The azure werewolf muttered darkly, "That kid Lycan… There is something strange about him."

Yanji nodded silently, his dark gray eyes darted back from the fires to the young pup sleeping near other werewolves. "Yeah…" He said softly to himself more rather than to his old friend.

---

_10 years ago, an unknown murdered the High Chief Wolf but at same time the young little were-cat ran away while being chased by the dark lycanthropes. No one knows but a pup named Lycan who told all were-animals that was a vampire who murdered the great master of the all lycanthropes. _

_Yanji turned his head back to the small child and realized he found it strange because that Lycan kid didn't shed any tears when his sire was killed. "Why don't you mourn over your Sire, kid?" He asked with a sad smile at the kid. _

_Lycan brought his strange-looking amber eyes to the general as the general noticed the three bleeding scratches on the kid's cheek. "Oh. There is no need for tears. In fact, I shed tears to no one." He said with an innocent smile. "I have no room for tears. I must move on and build a new path."_

_As soon as the kid left the confusing general, he looked at the kid until his second in command placed his hand on the general's shoulder. "What's matter, General Yanji?" Solider Roki asked looking back at the walking kid's back. _

_General Yanji narrowed his dark gray eyes at the kid. **Something is very strange about him. That kid is too cold for my dislike taste. **_

"_Nothing at all, Solider Roki." Yanji said shrugging his shoulder and turned around, walking toward the vampire king. _

_Until after the vampire king left angrily, promising the General he will bring the war upon the ungrateful were-wolves. 10 years later as the war between the lycanthropes and the vampires all drove other were-creatures into the forbidden forests and never be seen again. _

_Until then Yanji was brought to the holy temple by a monk named Master Seth and made a friend with Shinyu. He hadn't find an answer to the High Chief's mysteriously murder case but somehow it came drawing to the kid for a strange reason… _

----

"General!"

Just one heart-bitten word drifted in the air, silence in the void. The wind was still, and all movement halted, all ears listened to the lone wolf's cry.

"General Yanji!"

A hundred year later after the final battle between the Lightning and the Serpent. The Heylin Tiger of Ice had been disappeared a lot of years and never been seen again, ever and forever.

Black smoke drifting in the air, blocked out the moonlight as the black haired with white and blue ears teenager boy with amber eyes ran down the hills. He panted heavily, stopped at the top of the hill and cupped his mouth as he screamed. "General Yanji!"

Dark gray eyes flashed as he turned his head toward to the boy's cry. "Lycan…" He whispered, tucked his hand in his robe and pulled out the pendant. "I'm coming!"

The Solider who was now new rank of an general looked back at the General running after the kid and narrowed his amber eyes in hateful.

With the white light flashed, the gray wolf scurried down the hill, following the direction of the cub's cry. _I'm coming! I don't know what happen to your sire… Since I left Shinyu and Zalo many years ago…_

General Yanji, the former Tiger of Shadow, skipped on the ground in his wolf form and glanced down at the broken boy. "Kid…" He said softly, padded slowly to the pup. "Wake up."

The boy turned his head weakly, waking up slowly and blinked at him. "General Yanji…"

"Get up, kid. Hey, where's your friend?" The gray wolf lifted his head and looking around, moved closer to the kid.

The boy closed his amber eyes and clutched the something white card in his hands. "She betrayed Da…my sire. She called her pack… and asked an ally, I think, a vampire… they killed him… I think they're going after me."

The gray wolf turned to the boy and glanced at him, studying him for a moment. "…Alright. Get on my back." He kneed on his forelegs in front of the injured boy. "I have to bring you to General Roki."

The boy nodded slowly and crawled onto the wolf's back, as he sighed feeling the familiar soft, gray furs against his cheeks. "Thank you…"

The gray wolf nodded and started to running off, toward the forest. As the boy clinging on the wolf's back, smiling almost in creepy way as he clutched the white card with black shape of hearts.

"Hey Roki!" Yanji yelled, changing back to his old body as he placed the kid onto the ground and turned back to the newly general. "I need you to take care of this kid. While I'm going back to help Shinyu and the others!"

Roki turned back to Yanji, baring his fangs in rage. "Why go back to humans!"

Yanji was startled by his tone and stared confusedly at his friend. "Roki…" He said trailing off; seem aware of Roki's pain and hatred. "It's not Xuan's fault for let that snake scum go. It's not a war they started, Roki. It's Ariko himself."

The dark blue werewolf snorted disapprovingly at the higher general. "Not it…" He turned around and glaring silently at the ground. _It's your power. It angered me. I wanted that power. _

"Roki…"

Roki snarled as he sprung away from the general and the kid, ignoring his friend's calls. _No. I wouldn't! I wouldn't turn on you! If only… I hadn't met you in first place so I would kill you for that power! _

"Roki! ROKI! **ROKI!**"

----

That night… 100 years ago in between the Lightning and the Serpent, Yanji returned in search of his best friend and in hope to find him in one piece…

Unfortunately…

The rogue leader of the Tigers was stabbed defending the Grand Master Dashi by the banished host of the dark spirit…

Yanji coughed covering his nose as he glanced at the bloody battle. So powerful reek of deaths filled in the air, he peeped over the hill with full of broken weapons, dead demons, and dead humans. Still no sight of his friends…

He sighed. "What am I going to do? Tell them that I can't find 'im." He grunted turning around as the odd sound cry out to him. "Huh?"

The werewolf turned his head and his eyes widened when he saw his friend lying on the ground bleeding from the wound. "Shinyu!" He yelled running toward the wounded rogue. "You're hurt!"

"Yanji…" The Brazilian weakly opened his eyes and glazed over to his best friend. With a small smile, he sighed in relief. "I'm glad… you are… still there… even for… me…"

Yanji chuckled weakly, searching his bag for something to heal and his eyes lit up happily when he found something. "Hah! I found Crystal Wielder! It can heal the serious wounds! Even restoring any broken bones---huh? Wha…" He immediately stopped his happy rant when the Lightning Tiger lift his hand weakly and pushed the healing wu away from the wound.

"Shinyu…"

The rogue smiled ignoring his pain at the idiot lecherous werewolf. "Yanji… No need for that… I'd rather… to be that way… Even the magical objects… don't heal… the dead…"

Yanji quieted down and staring sadly at his dying friend as the tears falling down from his eyes, he said softly to him. "Shinyu… what about Kisara? What about your unborn son?"

"It…is the best… for them… to forget… me… I cannot…return…with this such heavy wounds…" Shinyu chuckled painfully and then sighed tiredly, closing his eyes slowly. "She knew… She just knew… Trust me she knew that I knew… Would you…"

"Go on." Yanji urged in fear of his friend would never come back again. "I'm listening."

Shinyu settled back onto the ground and opened his eyes, staring at the night stars. "Would you… have a favor for me…" He said gasping a little before he continued. "Please give my brother…a good place… He preferred the void where he died in the first place…"

_Void…? _The werewolf wondered and nodded at Shinyu. "Alright. I gotcha."

The rogue smiled for one more time and finally he went limped in the Tiger of Shadow's arms. His long ears pinned back sadly, he closed his eyes and howled loudly to the moon. Wailing over the friend's death alerted the other creatures from the forests, watching the sorrowful general wolf.

Shinyu died that night… the same night Grand Master Dashi trapped Lord Ariko in the black orb and sent it to the void.

The other demon beasts hadn't been seen since the beginning of the war now.

----

Now in 100 years later… after Roki left Yanji without realizing Yanji was in the danger…

All the creatures dead around the teen smirking coldly, the cards in his hands as the general stood unaffected of his dead pack. "So, you tricked me, kid… Why?"

The cold amber eyes flashed, the card flipped playful in his furry, gray hands as the teen turned to the general. "Just because."

The general narrowed his dark gray eyes as the wind blew his long, white hair. "You killed your sire as Sekhmet told me. I know she's no liar, kid." He whispered quietly, crossed his arms and stared at the teen in few yard away from him.

The card fell from the hands and floated onto the crimson dyed ground, the teen cocked his head upward at the night with full of stars. "You know… while we're dying outside, the humans are killing our kin and killing all the part of the nature we care, General Yanji…"

"But, I'm sure they have to learn how to care the Mother Nature just like we did, kid." General Yanji argued, dropping his arms to his side in disbelief at the teen. "How can you not care them just like I did? I heard Shinyu finally killed the enemy who killed our homeland, can you not understand what's happening to the dying earth, can you?"

The teen chuckled quietly, continued looking at the moon slowly dyed in crimson. "Did you know the moon of blood is already beginning?"

General Yanji frowned. "Moon of Blood?"

The boy turned his head back to the general, the glinting in the gold eyes and smirked coldly. "The Moon of Blood is the death of other creatures, giving our instinct to kill. The creatures cannot resist the instinct that made who we are."

"You're crazy! You know the Balance won't allow that happen!" General Yanji yelled, his fists trembling in anger. "You know that too!"

The boy snorted, stepped over the bloody dead creatures and glared at the older werewolf. "I know that and that why I'm here to kill him."

Silence filled in the field, expect only the cold wind blew past them as they glared at each other. "He is an immortal, he cannot die."

The gold eyes covered under his black bangs, he smirked slowly and absent-mindedly playing with his cards. "I know. I shall not allow whoever calling for him to forth."

"…" General Yanji stared sorrowfully at the young teen. "He'll kill you, you know, kid."

"I don't care. Only the item that can kill him is the mythic mirror I kept heard from Ariko… the one you loved possessed it."

General Yanji was taken back in surprise and stared confusedly at him. "Jiro?"

The boy suddenly howled and laughed loudly before he calmed down a bit. "No. A human girl, not a witch wench you once loved a few years ago."

"…" General Yanji narrowed his eyes and then he closed his eyes. "…" He turned around and walked away from the boy.

That was the last thing he had seen the boy after the end of the red moon and heard the news from the were-cat girl that the boy was… vanished… gone…dead...

He didn't know what happen to the kid after meeting the Balance and refused to believe that boy was dead as the other creatures claimed that boy deserved it for all deaths.

All peaceful and quiet after every creature, including himself, were banished by the angered Balance.

Until one hundred year later, he married the Tiger of Light, Roba and found out the Balance was vanished all of sudden and never returned, no matter how many times they tried to calling him.

"Damnit… Where is that damn traitor!" Yanji howled angrily, ignoring all other werewolves who yelped in fear at his rage. "High Chief Wolf! Why don't you let me go!"

The old wolf glanced over to the raging general with his own tired-looking stare. "General Yanji… Lycan's gone and never return to the Earth. Balance killed him years ago. Please restrain yourself."

"But, Sire!" Yanji howled again at his grandfather and stomped around so much like a childish behavior. "What if Lycan's alive and much in flesh! The second Balance won't help at all, more likely ripping our existence in half!"

Roba looked over worriedly at her husband. "Yanji…" She began but quieted down knowing she can't stop Yanji from doing stupid. And she also wished if Zalo was still alive from the beginning and then it wouldn't apart the team from each other.

"If only…! Damnit! If only Xiaolin and Heylin hadn't go against each other and disappearing from the beginning!"

Roba jerked and stared sadly at Yanji who closed his eyes and covered his face with his hands. "Yanji…" She whispered holding her precious mirror it was the last wu she held from the rests that Dojo and Grand Master Dashi hid from the evil forces.

The old high chief lifted his chin weakly at the mourning general and sighed deeply before replied, "General… You know the rule… if you dared step out of the clan… you will be known as banished. But I can make it an expectation because you are our only powerful general."

Yanji lifted his head from his hands and stared disbelief at the chief before he grinned happily, "Thank you sire!" As he sprung out of the cave and disappeared from their sight as Roba rolled her pale silver eyes and shook her head.

_Be careful, Yanji… I know something will happen to you that day… _She thought with a sad glaze at the magical object she held in her hands.

----

Suddenly, a small puddle of blood splashed onto the ground as the general thumped onto the ground, keeping locked claws against the powerful creature, snarling and snapping at each other.

_Damn… Lycan! _

With a powerful roar, the general hurled the creature off him and rushed over to the dying figure on the ground but the same creature tackled him away from the dying body.

"ARG! Damn you! Aren't you supposed to be a second balance!" Yanji howled as the two enemies locked their claws at each other and rolling over each other down the hill.

Suddenly, Yanji finally kicked the creature off him and scattered to get the sword as at same the creature leaped upon him with its deadly poisoning claws and the general turned around.

The white flashed all over and the blood flew upward into the air and then it splashed onto the ground as the creature fell onto the ground dead.

Standing over the dead balance, he panted heavy before he turned running to the dying body. "Lycan!" He yelled in horror when he barely caught the body but it vanished into the souls and disappeared out of his hands. "Lycan…"

He watched the souls disappeared into the sky and fall on his knees, gripping on the grass. "I don't understand… at all… What do you mean that you're had nothing to shed any tears…? Just like years ago when you killed your pap…" He whispered to himself, gritting his teeth in silent rage.

Suddenly, he coughed covering his mouth and stumped backward, lying on his back against the grass and glazed at the sky. "Damn… That damn Balance… poisoned me with a silver liquid…" He gasped a little and coughed, the blood dripping from his lips as he gritted his teeth again.

"Huh… Silver…" He chuckled weakly, "Heh… So I'm dying… I suppose."

Closing the dark gray eyes, the werewolf chuckled softly to himself as he turned over painfully and fought against his pain to get up. "Sorry Roba… Looks like I lost." He said smiling a little as he walked toward the dead balance and collapsed in the few yard.

He heard the soft footsteps and all he saw was the dark spirit in the shape of a black dog… and then his world suddenly turned into the darkness.

He was gone. Like a shadow in the light.

…

…

…

**End of Chapter 7**

* * *

Me: (grin) Okay, Yanji's journey's over. Now's Zhai and the Xiaolin/Heylin Warriors' journey began!

Zhai: …

Reiko: ¬¬ Geez, you're not much of talkative, are you?

Zhai: …

Me: (roll eyes) Please read and reviews, thank you! (hugs)

Zhai: …


	9. The Everlasting Promise

Me: Now finally, it's back to the last two chapters ago. It's still continuing from the 6th chapter. (grin) Disclaimer.

Shinyu: (placing his arms behind his head yawning tiredly) Disclaimer: Lady Lizgon does not own Xiaolin Showdown and its characters but her sheng-gong-wu and her ideas. Oh and she don't own the legends of Four Celestials and the other creatures from the _What's Beyond the Light_ too.

Me: (beaming happily) Onto the story!

* * *

**Chapter 8 – The Everlasting Promise **

…

…

…

(Previously, in a hundred year ago… before Yanji's death and the death of a Balance)

The flashback on the last chapter where Shinyu last saw Yanji left the day on the mini-bar…The day of Yanji left them…because of the misunderstanding between Jiro and him…

_(("Shinyu-man?"_

_Shinyu startled out of his trance and blinked rapidly before staring blankly at the werewolf. "Huh? Wha… Oh. He's fine… I guess." He answered quietly, looking away from the werewolf and stared absentmindedly at the swirling liquid in his cup._

"_You're been acting strange since after the crazy boy… Tell me, what's wrong? And don't even try lying to me. I'm a werewolf, damnit!" Yanji asked narrowing his gray eyes, rarely become serious no matter if he's drunk or not._

"_Tell me… are you still in love the witch… You know, Jiro?" Shinyu asked knowing the lecher would be distracted if he had to mention about a woman's name._

"_She left."_

_Shinyu startled again, stared disbelief at the sulking werewolf. "Huh? What are you saying?" He asked._

"_She left after something happened to her mother." The werewolf replied softly, his gray eyes glazed at outside the window and admiring the beautiful view of gloomy, gray clouds with raining. "She said something about get something belong to her back. She have no choice, but as her duty, she had to do something before she return."_

"_Duty? What did she mean? Where did she go?" Shinyu said confused, wondering what is his duty as a Heylin Tiger of Lightning, "and why?"_

"_Dunno…" Yanji sighed shrugging his shoulders hopelessly, drinking his fifth sake again. "Damn… I'm so confused, furious, and betrayed… maybe even lost too…"))_

…After a loss of the Wood witch, Yanji left Shinyu and his teammates on the same day as Zalo asked Shinyu to meet him on the field of the lake…

_((He sighed as he grabs the golden rod and turned around, but he bumped into the quiet, fuming "Mister Sunshine" as Yanji nicknamed the grumpy warrior, Zalo. "Zalo." He acknowledged, blinking at the narrowed brown and crimson-eyed warrior._

"_Keh." Zalo grunted, sulking angrily past the cheerful, grinning rebel. "Where's your damn girl?"_

_Shinyu sighed, shaking his head. Zalo still don't remember Kisara either… Just like all of others except Kisara and me…_

"_She's there in living room, Zalo. I'll be waiting outside." The rebel called out, stepping out of the door knowing Zalo would never harm to Kisara, not on his honor. "Don't even think about stealing stuff either!" He quickly added harshly before he left._

"_FEH!"_

_Shinyu laughed closing the door behind him and stared down at the still unconscious werewolf, sighing as he kicked his friend's side._

"_YEOW! What was that for! I'm dreaming! Great, now you're ruin my sweet dream." Yanji pouted, scowling at the rebel as he nursed the bruise on his side._

_Shinyu make a face and rolled eyes. "If Toka were here, he would say too much information already." He joked, laughing as he walked past the werewolf and headed down the road. "Are you coming? Tell Zalo that I'm waiting for him in open field."_

_Yanji shook his head, "Nay. I'm going to see Lycan."_

_Shinyu blinked and turned his head to Yanji while he was walking. "Who's Lycan?"_

_Yanji startled by a question and stuttered, "W-w-well… He's…uh… brother! Yeah! My brother." He lied, grinning stupidly at the rebel. "I heard a beautiful lady's calling my name for me. See ya!" With this, he bolted leaving the dumbfounded, frowning rebel._

"_Weird." The rebel mumbled to himself and shook his head, turned his head back to road again. "Some werewolves."))_

…And then Zalo died fighting the Ocean Demon and had yelled Shinyu to leave but instead of leaving, Shinyu stayed and helped but failed as he witness his friend'sdeath in the lake along with the demon…

_(("IRON CLAWS!" Zalo yelled as the hand transformed into dark silver claws and he leaped on the demon's back, slicing through its scales._

_The demon roared in pain and flickered Zalo away with its tail, drawing the small blood away from the cold-hearted warrior._

"_Zalo!" Shinyu yelled, "Thunderbolt Explosive, Lightning!"_

_The demon cried out painfully as it was zapped with the golden lightning bolts and fell back into the lake._

_As the rebel ran back to the wounded friend, Shinyu kneeled next to him. "Zalo, you're hurt!" He said, checking the small wound. "Good, it's only a scratch."_

_Zalo opened his brown-red eyes and glared at Shinyu. "Leave." He ordered quietly, clutching his slowly, bleeding chest._

_Shinyu was taken back and stared confusedly at the silent, cold-hearted warrior. "Huh… What do you mean?" He asked narrowing his dark green eyes. "I'm not leaving you alone! Especially with the snake like him!"_

_Zalo closed his eyes and grunted angrily, "You are the target, you idiot! You could ever leave alive. I will meet you there in the mountain cave. I know where your bastard brother is…"_

_Shinyu looked down at the grass silently, knowing he could be happy if he found his older brother, but he can't leave Zalo no matter if his friend is a cold-hearted murderer. "Zalo…"_

"_LEAVE, DAMNIT!" Zalo bellowed angrily, weakly but strong shoved the rebel away toward the forest. "OR I WILL FORCE TO THROW YOU TO THE MOUNTAIN MYSELF!"_

_Green eyes flashed with determine and understanding, Shinyu quickly nodded knowing he had no choice and dashed back into the forest._

_Suddenly, he heard the demon roared and the first yelling with the earthquake shook itself with full of spikes…_

_He stopped his tracks and turned his head, the last thing he ever saw was Zalo was coiled tightly by the tail of a demon. "Zalo!" He screamed in surprise and horror, running back to Zalo._

_Susku turned its snake-like head and hissed hungrily at Shinyu as the tail held Zalo tighter, cutting his air off._

_The Heylin Tiger of Metal opened his brown-red eyes and glared at Shinyu. "Damn it…. Don't you hear me? LEAVE!" He yelled angrily, but weakly to the rebel._

"_Rod of Lightning, Lightning!" Shinyu yelled, commanded the magical rod and zapped the demon._

_The Ocean Demon cried out again, slowly sinking into the cold lake and opened his eyes. "I will not leave yet… even if I have to dragging you with me!" Susku hissed, grew his arms from his body and reached for Shinyu._

"_NO!"_

_The spikes pieced through the demon's flesh, spitting the blood all over the lake and grass. The crimson-brown eyes flashed through the darkness, snarling lowly to the demon. "I'd rather die than let you kill Shinyu, you bastard!" Zalo hissed tiredly, stuck his Coyote's Dark Claw with his right fist into the sea serpent's flesh._

_He was slowly, sinking along with the dead demon to the underneath of the lake, to his downfall, to his death…_

"_Zalo!" Shinyu yelled dashing over the lake and reached for Zalo's hand. "Grab my hand!"_

_The cold-hearted warrior's eyes darted back to Shinyu and to the rebel's hand. Reaching his hand out for Shinyu, but decided against it as he rejected Shinyu and held his fist to his chest. "Go!" Zalo hissed tiredly, staring unblinkingly at the young rebel. "I will meet you there… I promise you. I need to fight Xuan…"_

"_Zalo…" Shinyu started, but stopped himself. He watched Zalo disappeared into the lake along with the dead Ocean Demon. A few tears splashed onto the grass, he turned silently and walking through the forest._

_**I don't understand you, Zalo… You sound like you want to keep yourself alive, yet you're so willingly to die. **_

_The rebel opened his dark green eyes and stared at the mountain, frowning. The wind blew past his wild, brown hair; he stood on the cliff near the temple, wearing the trademark Heylin robe. "Brother…"_

_He lifted his right hand and clutched his palm into fist tightly; he closed his eyes and opened them again as he said to the air, "I will fight you for the sake of your life…"_

_Yet, he didn't know what's happening to between his allies and the demons…_

_Including his older brother could be the one who still struggling to get away from the spirit's claws… Even if it means for giving up his life…))_

…Then now Shinyu had promise to fight his brother… The beginning of the true war in the between the humans and the demons… But thanks to Ariko's cruel idea of to shattering the Four Gods' trust and bond…

- _After Zen's return_ -

"So he died…"

The African native nodded sadly, looking directly to the newly Grand Master. "Dashi… I know… He asked me to delivered an message from him to you."

The tall monk remained silently as he turned his back to his trust and best friend beside Guan and Chase Young. "I see… What of his message, Zen?"

"He said… there is a chance to restoring the world is…" Zen trailed off knowing it was a saddened and shockingly message he received from the dying god of sky, lightning, and steel. "Is ridded of a great evil… Never ever hesitate to kill him as if he is instead a close one to your life."

Shinyu jerked up in surprise and rage at the African native. "What..! You mean… we have to kill Xuan!" He growled as Zen yelped stepping back away from the rouge. "NO FRIGGIN' WAY!"

"SHINYU!" His master Seth scolded angrily, glancing at his way. "This is not a way of addressing him as your new grand master!"

The rouge of lightning ignored his master, glowering darkly at Dashi who used to be his closely best friend since the village. "Zalo's dead… Yanji didn't came back… Katra left us before she get her acceptation of being Tiger of Ice… Then Jiro's gone missing! Now you tell us we have to kill one of our members as if it were nothing mean a lot to you!"

"Shinyu…" Roba whispered sadly as she glanced back at Toka the Dragon of Fire, Yuiku the Dragon of Water and Aaku the Dragon of Earth. Knowing it was Ariko's fault to shattering their trust in each other and now Xiaolin and Heylin turned their back at each other, denying their help.

Yuiku seemingly hesitated and being torn about either agreeing with the rouge or step back out of their squabbles to let them do solve the problem themselves.

Toka glared darkly at the head of the Tiger of Lightning since he found out the rouge had his secret love in his arms instead of Toka himself. He still hadn't gotten over it in few weeks past and still unable to forgive them for it.

Aaku, like Yuiku, remained to be silent and watching at them while she unaffected Shinyu's swearing. And she sighed in not bit happiness at their behavior and as if she would say in joking mode. 'Typical Shinyu…as usual...'

Roba silently agreeing with the Dragon of Earth, watching his soon-to-be leader argued against Master Seth and Grandmaster Dashi. _This is worst…_

---

_Drip… _

A crimson tainted on the shining blade, dripping slowly as the wounded swordsman panted furiously, staring coldly at the reptile-like beast prowled silently toward him. "… I see… so this is…a cursed form…my dear brother…"

_Drip… _

The beast narrowed his cold yellow eyes and roared loudly, popping his deadly black talons in the air. He had multiple scratches all over his body from the long sword that Zhai wield.

Zhai narrowed his light gold eyes and frowned. "So you surely cannot speak on your own… Huh, I'm certain you can learn how to speak on your own, Chase Young."

"Zhai…" The beast hissed almost seems to recognize his own sibling, but he kept attacking him. His talons suddenly clashed against the blade as they fought each other.

Zhai frowned at the sound of his own name and quickly understood what's the silent monk in the beast form asked him for. "I see…"

_Drip… _

"Argh…" The long dark haired swordsman grunted and flipped over the beast as he landed on the ground and pointed his blade at the beast's back. "I challenged you to a shadow showdown! If I win, I ask you nothing but to rejected the evil spirit in you and return your soul to you right now."

The beast silently glaring at him as he quietly licking the blood off his talons and hissing in happiness in his throat as he replied, "_Very well… If I win… You shall swore your loyalty to me and stay by my side… in eternality life." _

"I accept!"

As the shadow showdown began in the between the great warriors… But unfortunately, one of them lost his battle… in darkest hour of his life as a first private servant in his feline form… under the dark beast's mercy.

---

"What took Zhai a long time to get here?" Toka grumbled, as he sat under the sakura tree sulking quietly and Shin Zu, the shinboi from the third temple rolled her eyes at his old friend.

"Relax! Like I said as if you didn't start to trust anybody and then you'll gone crazy." She said in her favorite sarcasm tone. "Don't give me a nasty look too!"

Toka tilted his head at her and snorted disapprovingly at the famous shinboi. "Well, well, well, aren't we in cheerful moods?" He replied dryly, placing his arms behind his head and glazing at the pink petals falling from the sakura tree.

Shin Zu stuck out her tongue at him knowing it was too childish for an elder like her. "Fine then, where are the troublemaker and his silent gloomy brother?"

"…" Toka turned his head to the other direction knowing the elder shinobi's fond of Xuan and Shinyu as the sakura petals falling silently around them, almost as if the world turned the sound off between them.

"… Toka-chan?" Shin Zu replied softly, seeing the Japanese stiffed at the childhood nickname and she knew the fire-boy hated it so much.

"Stop calling me a Chan. I'm not that little…" He replied coldly, unable to looking at her and instead of this, he glanced down at the grass with full of sakura petals. "Not anymore…not even once again…"

"…So I see… some things changed in our lives…" Shin Zu mumbled quietly, holding her knees together and glazing across the hills. "I'm guessing… Xuan left… Shinyu went after him…?"

After she received nothing from the stiffed warrior of fire, the shinboi knew she was so close to the truth but at same time she was too far from it… "Toka…?"

"Xuan… left this temple… even left his younger brother alone…" The fire-wielding warrior said softly, startling the shinboi in his silent state. "Then we found out… he is now the victim of the dark leviathan. A dying god, a white tiger, asked us to do a favor…"

Shin Zu's dark pink eyes widened in horror as she realized what's going on. "…Oh no…" She whimpered, covering her lips with her hands to prevent crying out from her. "Not him!"

Toka closed his eyes and sighed in half-annoyance and half-angry, but a hint of sadness in his tone. "We had to kill him… we have no choice. Shinyu went against it and stormed out of temple after that. Even I have no clue of where he is now."

"Poor little troublemaker…"

Toka glanced over at the hill where the sun had set since the green-eyed rouge left them without saying where he's headed… "Shin-sama, do not worry too much for him. Trust me." He whispered smiling back at his elder friend.

No matter how much hate he had for his rival, he still worried about his safety without Xuan.

_Don't die, you stupid prankster Shinyu Pedsora!_

---

A shadow figure stood on the rocky ground, watching the small temple in a far distance as a chilling smile suddenly marked on its face.

_As for a promise between us… I'll be waiting for you…_

…

…

…

**End of the Chapter 8**

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Me: Alright, now you know what's happen to Zhai and why he's in a feline form in the first place in "What's Beyond the Light?" Season 2nd. (grin) 

Jiro: It seem now we knows two of the four Gods died because of Ariko's trick. What about other two, Lizgon?

Me: (secretly smile) Wait and to see. (to readers) Please reviews this story and thank you very much!


	10. A Sakura Tree

Me: (grin) It's time! It's time!

Yanji: Time for what?

Me: My favorite chapter…(grin) Disclaimer.

Yanji: (staring at me with his curious eyes) Disclaimer: Lady Lizgon does not own Xiaolin Showdown and its characters but her sheng-gong-wu and her ideas. Oh and she don't own the legends of Four Celestials and the other creatures from the _What's Beyond the Light_ too.

Me: (beaming happily) Onto the story! Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 9 – A Sakura Tree…**

…

…

…

During the afternoon around the Xiaolin Temple, a small monk walked on the dojo and paused as the single sakura petal fell on his nose. He picked it off his nose and examined it with a startled surprise.

"A sakura petal?" He glanced upward at the beautiful sakura tree and looked faraway dazed in his silver-gray eyes. _Katra…_

"Yuiku-yuan…"

Startlingly at the sudden shout, he was almost stumped in the pool of Koi fishes but he restored his balance. The monk whirled around at the direction of the voice and to his surprise; it was only Tai Zu, a Ninjistu from the fourth temple and the older brother of Shin Zu.

"Tai-zhu!" As only a student, Yuiku always called a ninjistu a zhu meaning a lord who owns the fourth temple like Shin Zu. He quickly bowed to him in a warm greeting manner. "What brought you here at the Xiaolin Temple, Tai-zhu?"

A silent ninjistu with long dark hair past his shoulder and a part of his hair over his right side face. Narrowing his cold pale olive eyes at the young monk, he glazed over to the lone sakura petal in the child's hand.

"Still thinking of her, aren't you young student?" He replied softly, tucking his slender pale hands into his long dark blue sleeves. "If only she hadn't left, she would be a great warrior I foresight at her training with a nuisance brat."

Yuiku cringed at Tai's annoyance preferring to Xuan's younger brother, knowing Shinyu's past pranks on Tai in his few visits. He remembered when he was a child, he had seen him dropped a strange-looking bag on Tai's head and soaked him to bone from the roof.

Also, at the same time he had met his first love…

((_Young Yuiku blinked hearing a odd noise came from the roof and he glanced up at the nine-year-old brunette haired boy grinned playful at himself, holding an azure blue water bag with his careful hands._

_Yuiku blinked._

"_What are you doing with this water-bag, Shinyu?" His ten-year-old older brother asked staring seriously at the back of his little brother's head, crossing his arms across his chest in annoyance._

"_Oh nothing, Xuan… I was looking for something…" Shinyu whispered innocently, his playful eyes searching down at the dojo field. Xuan narrowed his icy amethyst eyes in annoyance at him and sighed in defeat. "Fine. Don't run to me if you're get yourself in trouble again." _

_Shinyu shot a sheepish looking glance at his brother's way and returned to his searching for a target. Suddenly, his eyes lit up happily and he grinned wolfishly. "Bingo!"_

_A small rouge quickly dropped a bag and ducked as an angry yelling from the below. A seven years old child Yuiku in a monk robe turned his head at the sound of his master's friend yelling from the dojo and saw the snickering child rushed out of the temple with his brother. _

"_Cursed that brat!" _

_He blinked in surprise to see a streaming warrior with his soaked robe and realized it's only Tai Zu. He sweatdropped at the sight of him and quickly bowed at him as he replied respectfully, "Greeting, Tai-zhu." _

_Tai Zu grumbled under his breath as he stalked angrily into Xiao's dojo, cursing the little rouge's name. _

_Suddenly, a familiar voice startled poor little monk. "As usual, my little brother has found a new target for his prank." _

_He turned his head back to the silent child with icy purple eyes. "Xuan." _

_Xuan nodded in acknowledged Yuiku. "Be heeding of his useless pranks. You'll be his target next time." _

"_Don't be so cruel on him, Amethyst." A little girl's voice replied with full of cheerful as Xuan rolled his eyes and looked up at the blue haired girl in the mistress robe sitting on the sakura branch._

"_I'm not some jewel you're comparing to, Katra." He glared upward at her, being annoyed at her nickname for him. _

_Yuiku's innocent silver-gray eyes grew bigger and bigger at her, hanging his jaw closer to the ground. It's the first time he had ever meet a girl in the temple and never seen what a girl look like. Especially in the beautiful sight of her with the falling sakura petals had been stunned him. _

_The blue haired girl leapt from the branch and landed on the ground in the front of the two boys. The tomboy girl finally noticed Yuiku stood gawking at her beside Xuan and smiled at him. "Oh hello there! I'm Katra Yamachi." She chirped with a beaming grin at Xuan who rolled his eyes. "What's yours?" _

"_Y-Y-Y-Y…" The small monk blushed and stuttering wildly, not expecting the girl asked for his name…especially in awkward moment either. He gulped whole air in and breathed out. "Yuiku, the first student of Master Tai Zu and soon to be the Master of this Temple." _

_Shinyu in the bush behind Xuan and Katra snickering quietly at poor monk's embarrassing rush words as he kept covering his mouth from being give-away, smiling evilly. _

_To the boys' surprise, Katra reached for Yuiku and hugged him tightly, giggling to herself. "You're so cute! Almost as much as my kitty." She grinned at the monk who blushing furiously against her chest and then she finally let him go. _

"…" _Yuiku blinked and then blushed again. "Can I ask you a question?" _

_Katra blinked at him and then she smiled, nodding at him. "Go on." _

"…" _The small monk stuck out his arms toward her and smiling shyly at her, "…Can I… have your… girl hug… again please?" _

_A silence hanging over in the air as Katra and Xuan stared at him like as if the monk has another head on his shoulder. And then suddenly, poor Shinyu howling in laughter, rolling over on the ground while he pointed at Yuiku with his remark comment about him was being pervert or a blushing machine._

_Yuiku was whole red blushing across his cheeks furiously, staring confusedly at the rolling small rogue. _

_Katra was startled by Shinyu's laughter and glared down at him, being annoyed at him. "I can't believe you!" She growled quietly at the laughing rouge. _

_Xuan sighed his hand covering his eyes and groaned silently, "This is the worst day I ever have…" He muttered darkly to himself watching at his younger brother teased poor little monk. _

_Yuiku smiled at the three friends and then blinked in surprise as the lone sakura petal landed on his nose. He picked it off and then he studied it quietly, slowly looking up at the beautiful sakura tree. _

_Sakura… A good charm for a love, compassion, and a friendship… _

_Yuiku smiled._))

In ten years later, a seventeen-year-old young monk sighed sadly. It had been seven months since Katra had left Xiao Lin's Temple. And then he opened his eyes, watching the snow-like falling sakura petals around the beautiful oak.

A sad smile on his face, Yuiku tilted his head upward at the breath-taking sight. _Katra…_

"Yuiku-yuan…?"

Yuiku turned his head back to the direction of the male voice and to his surprise, he only found Tai Zu patiently waiting for him by the gateway door. "Oye! Coming, master!" He shouted, running back to the master in his pure blind panic.

As they left, the sakura tree standing there lonely as the petals falling down from it… As for everyone would have sworn they saw the childhood memory being illusion along with a beautiful oak.

A girl in an illusion sitting on the branch of a sakura tree, beaming happily down at the blushing monk while a monk in an illusion gawked in surprise at her.

---

In the battle began, the holy warriors stood in the line watching in caution at the dark warriors and the demons in the line, in the opposite direction from them.

Yuiku's silver-gray eyes quivered at the sight of the evil-looking warriors and demons. Taking a breath in and out, his face remain in the stone expression as he was hoping he's going to be a true warrior in the future.

Suddenly, a hand claimed on his shoulder nearly sends him in a screaming fit before he glanced back behind him in surprise and horror. He didn't expecting Toka sneaked up on him quietly, well… he was kind of expecting Shinyu popped out of nowhere in unexpected way.

"Oh…" Yuiku sighed in relief, secretly wishing he and his friends had to be going back the way in the past where there would be no more fighting for the world. "Toka…"

Toka's eyebrow quirked upward under his bangs at the chest-fallen expression on the monk's face and then he snorted. "What. Are you expecting Shinyu poof-ed out of the nowhere like Grandmaster Dashi and Master Seth?" He said playful, ruffling the monk's ponytail-style black hair which much to the monk's dismay.

"Not really…" Yuiku sighed pushing Toka's hand away from his head and looked over the hill at the dark approaching force. "We got some of magical objects… they got some of magical objects… Like 50-50, perhaps."

"I only got Star Hanabi, Phoenix Flute, Whip of Flame, Cat's Eye Draco, Arrow Sparrow and Black Beetle." Toka peered down at his bag and glanced up at Yuiku.

Yuiku nodded. "Mantis Flip Coin, Changing Chopsticks, Orb of Tornami, Mind Reader Couch, Lunar Locket, Gills of Hamachi, Kaijin Charm and Shimo Staff."

Yuiku turned his head back to Roba and Aaku. "Roba's got Mythic Mirror, Sun Chi Lantern, Reversing Mirror, Sphere of Yun, Culver Crystal, and The Shard of Dreams."

Toka nodded. "Aaku's got Two Ton Tunic, Third Arm Sash, Fist of Tebigong, Cannon Blaster, Big Bang Meteorang, Longhorn Taurus and Armor of Genbu… Geez, what is she? A shield-body guard?"

Yuiku let out a chuckle as Master Seth approached them. "What are you doing?" He asked quietly, a glimpse of being serious in his eyes for only students could see them.

"Master Seth, what did you got?" Toka asked ignoring Yuiku's protest about his manner toward the master.

Master Seth quirked his eyebrow in interest at the Dragon of Fire. "Cane of Reincarnation, Double Blade Staff, Sapphire Dragon, Crystal Glasses, and Eagle Scope. Grandmaster Dashi does have Eye of Dashi, Falcon's Eye, Crouching Cougar, Emperor Scorpion, Ying Yo-Yo, Yang Yo-Yo, Tortoise's Shield and Chaos of Orb…"

Toka's head jerked up in surprise and Yuiku's eyes widened in horror. "WHAT!" They screeched in union as Master Seth cringed at their tone.

"Chaos of Orb! It's forbidden to making it. Isn't he the one who said that orb is too dangerous for to wield!" Yuiku protested.

"It's his decision… as a grand master." Master Seth replied softly, silencing the students at his sharp word. And then the old master left them; Toka and Yuiku glanced at each other.

"It'll be bad." Yuiku whispered to Toka. "It's too strong… even for Dashi."

"Yep."

"I wish we had strong backup plan like Zalo and Jiro does…" As Yuiku was right, Jiro only possessed the few wu that she likes control with her elemental power but she's still missing. Zalo's gone… so is his Blade of Aqua, Coyote's Dark Claws and Shroud of Shadows…

The magical objects returned to its rightful place as the grand master's silent command with Emperor Scorpion's special ability.

----

The Heylin Tiger of Lightning dropped the sack next the dead tree silently, looking up at the mountain where the cave can be seen. His dark forest eyes narrowed at the cave with a little lit light; he knew where his brother might be.

His sack revealed Serpent's Tail, Golden Tiger Claws, Shard of Lightning, Thorn of Thunderbolt, Map Pose… The Brazilian held the favorable Rod of Lightning, Sword of the Storm and Fancy Feet.

It was strange…

He had always felt the pull, the power, and the strength. The feeling was like a secret that only it knew, and it would never tell him, because it always felt delight out of making him think.

So that's what he would do.

He would think, and think, and think, and he would do this day after day, night after night until the sun would set, and it would be time to leave again on a journey that seemed endless.

Sometimes he would contemplate such thoughts of eternal emptiness and tragedy. What was endless? Did it really last forever, like it said it did? Did it really not have a certain shape, or certain endpoint where things would have to be released?

It did not appear so.

Where was his end? Was his end endless? He would think for a long time, and he could never understand the relevance of that.

He wondered if he could do it.

But he can't… because Xuan's still his brother and he can't kill his own sibling because of what the white tiger god said in his dying death.

His beloved Heylin Clans… They're slowly disappearing as long as the dark force returned and claimed his clan… It already gave Heylin Clans a bad name and even worse the entire world despised the sound of the vile name to their ears and sights.

It had to be stop before too late.

"Xuan…" Shinyu whispered softly, climbing over the rocky cliff and the childhood memories rushed through his mind.

((_The small child laughed out of his delight as his mother continued sewing the torn-looking shirt. "Mom. Where's Dad?" _

_His mother blinked at him and then she smiled gently at him. "He's out fishing with Xuan. Probably he fell in after a fish slip out of his grasp… again." _

"_And you're right." A dryly voice in an amusement tone behind her, causing the little boy squealed in surprise and happy as he rushed over to his dad and hugged him in greeting way. _

_The silent boy stood behind the father, watching quietly at his baby brother as the small smile on his face. _

"_Xuan…" _

_Xuan blinking in surprise, being startled out of his trance and glanced over at his brother who stared back at him in curiosity. "Yes, Shinyu?" _

"_What did cha got?" Shinyu asked bouncing forth and back, waiting impatiently for his brother's answer. _

_Xuan ducked out of the way and stared at the floor while a small blush out of embarrassing across his nose. "Ano… Not really… I don't think I can catch a sneaky fish like Dad did…" He laughed sheepishly, remembering the fishing spot. _

_Shinyu cocked his head over his left shoulder, studying his brother. Suddenly, he grinned playful at him. "Hn. Whatever. Let's play ball!" He ran back to the white ball, looking over his shoulder to expecting his brother to join with him. _

_Xuan let out a rare laughter as he quickly followed after his carefree-like brother. "Shinyu… Wait until I win!" _

_Yes… You always win… _

_- _

_Few years later after they meet Master Seth in his youth and the mean-looking Tai Zu because of Shinyu's prank… but at the same time they meet Yuiku and Katra… _

_On the day of where they meet Zalo in the village for the first time. 13 years old Shinyu bumped onto him and fell on the floor at same time._

"_Ow!" Shinyu groaned, rubbing his hurtful spot while he opened his eyes and stared at the angry-looking face of a brown/red-eyes boy. _

"_WHAT THE HELLS! ARE YOU THINKIN, BRAT!" He growled rudely, standing up and suddenly bumped into the not happy-looking Xuan. _

"_Do you think you are doing by insulting my brother?" Xuan said calmly, crossing his arms and stared down at the 13 years old grumpy boy. _

"_Feh!" The boy scoffed, sulking past the silent brother and then he turned his head over his shoulder looking down at the carefree brother. "This brat? Not like I care." _

_Shinyu laughed shaking his head. "Xuan, relax. I'm sure I'm fine with being called a brat… unlike Tai Zu…" He muttered the last sentence under his breath. "I'm Shinyu Pedsora. This is my brother, Xuan Pedsora." _

_The boy with the red brown eyes blinked in surprise at the boy's sudden change of attitude. "Zalo… Just Zalo…" He hesitated about revealing his full name and shrugged his shoulders. "I'm leaving." _

"_You think you're leaving with those stolen coins?" Xuan replied, raising his dark eyebrow and seem amused at Zalo's expression cringing at his calm words._

_Zalo glared at Xuan and darkly muttering under his breathe before he replied, "Feh. What do you think? Turning me in those idiot guards?" He jerked his chin toward the searching guards. "Ha. Sorry to burst your bubble… Bye!" _

_The boy nearly ran over Xuan, disappearing into the alley. Shinyu turned his head and staring at him with his amused look. "What did you think?" _

_Xuan smirked. "I say… we follow him." _

_After few weeks they had become friend with Zalo and a few close calls because of the guards from the emperor… One year later they meet Yanji the thief and after Zalo's few swearing and cursing at the white werewolf, they had again become the best buddies. _

_Until then, the Temple called them forth because of Master Seth had found them wandering around the village where Dashi live. _

_After that, they meet the new groups – Roba, Kisara, Aaku, Katra (who was suddenly disappeared), Jiro, Toka, Yuiku, and Dashi. _

_- _

_Three months ago before Xuan's betrayal… Shinyu run down the dojo where the beautiful sakura tree was in the sight and he looked around until he found Xuan sitting on the pouch near his favorite tea. _

"_Xuan…" He said softly, causing his brother turned his head over to him. "Zalo told me you're have been acting strangely." _

_The icy amethyst eyes widened and then softened, the silent boy turned back to watching the falling sakura petals in silence. _

_The young rouge sighed in annoyance as he walked to the end of the pouch and sits down next to his brother. "Xuan… Please tell me." _

_Xuan glanced upward at the night sky, silent thinking of the many past memories he had possessed. "Shinyu…" He said softly looking back to his little brother as his amethyst eyes suddenly look like it came to alive again. "Do me a favor…" _

_Shinyu blinked. That was unexpected things came from his brother! "Yeah…?" He replied hesitating, not sure what the silent brother do want from him._

"…_No matter… how it seem hopeless and lost." Xuan said glancing up at the sky again. "Of all false promises… and betrayal… I do want you to continued from what you start and you will be the one to end it all." _

"_Xuan…" Shinyu began but he was cut off by Xuan's sharp word echo through his ears. _

"_Say you will accept that vow from me!" _

_Shinyu startled, staring confusingly at his brother and decided never questioning his brother's strange behavior he wondered about in previously before. "I accept." He answered with a sharp nod. _

_Xuan looked relieved and relaxed again, smiling a little at his little brother. "Thank you." _))

Shinyu smiled sadly at the precious memory as he looked up at the night sky. "Now I understand what you meant… No matter how it seem hopeless and lost when you left us…I'll still continued from what I started and I'm the one who is going to stop you!"

Suddenly, a cold voice startled him. "Very well done! You have come for yourself, little brother. Even without your friends' help either!"

He turned back and glaring at the snake spirit in his brother's body. "Ariko…"

The icy golden eyes replacing Xuan's icy, yet soft amethyst eyes seem taunted so cruel yet playful at the Tiger of Lightning. "Let all the fun… began!" He yelled, widening his arms almost as if he were the magician to the audiences. His words echoed to the night sky as the fire, ice, lightning, and all other attacks from the distance exploded when it clashed each other.

The roaring and snarling can be heard from the same distance.

The Dark War now had began…

Shinyu narrowed his dark green eyes, gripping his gold rod tightly as Ariko smirked evilly at him, standing on the cave cliff looking down at him as the brown haired boy glared up at him in the attack stance.

---

A lone sakura petal fall on the ground where the dying sakura tree in the temple... The one that once held full of joyful and sad memories...

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**End of the Chapter 9**

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Me: Okay, Now it's time for looking far back into Xiaolin Dragons and Heylin Tigers' past… In each of chapters before we'll look at what happen during the Dark War against the Heylin Demons. And we'll found out how Xuan had rejected Ariko out of his body and died in Shinyu's arms. 

Shinyu: I think you're still blabbing out to them.

Me: Oh! Fine. (to Readers) Please read and reviews this… Thank you!


	11. The Village in Chaos

Me: (beaming happily) All you're waiting so long for Zalo's MYSTERY past!

Zalo: (glares)

Me: Mostly like why Zalo's all grumpy and moody, unlike Xuan. (smirk)

Zalo: I'm not that all grumpy and moody!

Me: Rrriiiiiiiiight… Disclaimer.

Zalo: (death glaring at me) Disclaimer: Lady Lizgon does not own Xiaolin Showdown and its characters but her sheng-gong-wu and her ideas. Oh and she don't own the legends of Four Celestials and the other creatures from the _What's Beyond the Light_ too. Including a swamp octopus. (paused) What the hell? Lizgon, why you created that thing? (pointed at a swamp octopus)

Me: (grin widely) You'll see. This is much better interesting in humor way than that leeches I watched in TV. (beaming happily) Onto the story! Enjoy always!

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**Chapter 10 – The Village In Chaos**

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- - Zalo's Past - -

It was all quiet and peaceful… in the beautiful village. The sound of children's laughter echoed all way in the maze of small town. The sound of dogs' barking and howling through the sky.

No screaming in terror…

No swearing in anger…

No sound of metal clashing metal…

The village is a quite small town where they're peaceful and also had fear of fighting because they'd rather to be peacemakers instead of warriors.

Suddenly, the silver fish flew upward in the sky wiggling its tail for a second before it went down in the water again. The dark red haired boy leaped back on his feet, pointing furiously at the river with a snarl. "Stupid fish! It's mocking me!"

The purple haired other boy gave a lazy glance at his friend. "Not its fault that you're suck at stabbing it, Kyo." He muttered scrutinizing his beloved silver spear and tossed from his left hand to his right hand. "And not my fault that I'm good at it." With a playful smirk, he received a death glare from his friend.

"Shut up, Zalo! You're just lucky because your dad is so famous at making spears just for catching fishes…" Kyo grumbled aiming his black spear for the mocking fish and stabbed through the water but missed the target. "ARGH! DAMN THAT THING!"

Zalo sighed shaking his head, continued playing with his favorite spear. His father gave a special gift to him and he has been practicing it. He was just eleven years old and so was his friend. "If you be silent, then you'll get it."

"Be QUIET!"

Zalo laughed watching Kyo threw a spear at the fish and again he missed it. He smiled. _Kyo isn't only just best friend. He's the best fighter I have ever seen, if I could ignore his temper and his outburst like his dad. His dad is also the famous bodyguard of the King and great friend to my dad. _

_But… Something strange happened to that day…_

---

The door sudden swung in other direction causing everyone looked up from their business and noticed the man stood by the doorway.

The man with short purple haired and soft brown eyes sudden smiled toward the man. "Ah, good morning Shu! It's good to see you back again." He greeted in good mood, washing the white cloth on the table.

"Zhigure." Shu replied monotone as he nodded acknowledging his old friend. "Where are the boys?"

Zhigure blinked in surprise and then he grinned. "They're gone to the river… to catch the plenty of fishes."

Shu glanced sharply at the men who yelped in fear under his glaze and scattered out of the shop pretty quickly. Zhigure sweat dropped at the situation, sighing sadly at the empty shop. _If it kept doing like that, my shop cannot survive this chaos thank to the moody solider here. _

"Ah, Shuuuuu… You're scaring them away… again!" The spear maker whined, playful glaring at the silent spearman. "Hn. Fine. What do you want from me… in this time again?" He asked ignoring the silence as he stopped washing the table.

Shu bit his lower lip as he glazed back to his friend and suddenly he seems nervous about something else. "Zhigure… I…" He sighed nervously, "The King wants you to selling all of the spears over to him."

Zhigure's eyebrows went up past his forehead in surprise. "He WHAT? No wait, I assume he DEMANDED it?" He exclaimed slapping his palms against the table with a loud slap.

Shu nodded mutely, knowing his friend's anger for the King abused his beloved spears and used it as a weapon for battle. "But if you rebelled against his wish… he'll send his army to assaulting your homeland and stealing your spears."

Zhigure's lips curled in a silent snarl and then he paused. Suddenly, a sad smile labeled on his face as the picture of his son and wife appeared in his mind. "Shu…Send an message to him… tell him…"

And then he looked up at Shu with a warrior look and grinned. "To shove it up in his ASS!"

---

The day turned into night as the stars slowly brightening in the dark sky…

The plenty of silver fishes wiggling and shrugging for dear life in the net sack over his shoulder, Zalo walked on the dirty road along with Kyo. He glanced over his other shoulder to Kyo and smiled playful at him. "At least look at the bright side, Kyo. We won't have to go to swamp and spent lot of weeks to picking off annoying small swamp octopuses from our skins."

Kyo cringed and scowled darkly at Zalo's back, mumbling. "At least I didn't end up looking like a chicken poxes."

Zalo chuckled at the memory he did end up looking like red spots all over his face. It's painful to pull a swamp octopus off his face, but at same time it was worth of teasing Kyo being a pox freak.

"I wonder if I get a swamp octopus and tricked mom into thinking I'm really ill." The red-brown eyed boy grinned widely, close to giggling insanely. "So I won't need to go school again!"

Kyo glanced at him with an amused look. "You'll still have to studying those scrolls. Speaking of school, I overheard mom talking to the priest about collecting a special student… again."

"Special student?" Zalo asked finally quit his strangely gigging and cocked his head to side in question at Kyo. "Just like…a warrior with magical powers?"

"Yeah, more likely."

Zalo turned his head upward to the night sky, admiring the stars as he was thinking about the priest silently. _Who is the priest? Why is he coming to our homeland? Not like we had special powers to fight for the world and protect the innocent people. Huh, wishful thinking. _

"LOOK!"

A yell startled him out of his thoughtful trance and stared blankly at Kyo. "What?" He asked a confused look expressing on his face. "What's going on?"

Kyo said nothing to him and instead he pointed the black smoking steamed up from the hill where the red light was easily to spot. "It's same direction from where we came from! Did you think…?"

The boys glanced at each other for a moment as they seem to sharing their thoughts and they nodded suddenly, running toward the red light in the wood hill.

_I hope they're all right. Mom… Dad… _Zalo thought continued running through the woods with Kyo.

Running through the woods until they reached the end of it, screeching to halt. Their eyes widened in horror at the sight of flaming within the town and the dark knights under the shadows riding the horses, wielding the swords and throwing the flaming torches at the helpless houses.

The burning houses to the ashes, to the ground as the screaming in terror of elders and the wailing in despair of mothers, the shouting in anger of fathers, and the whimpering in fear of children echoed together behind the chaos.

"Mom… Dad…" Kyo said in shock and then he shook out of his trance, growling angrily at the knights. "Damn them all. Murders!" Grasping his black spear tightly, he rushed recklessly toward the unsuspected knight.

Zalo knew he can't stopped him from attacking the knight because of his legs freezing to the ground he was standing on so he was unable to move at will.

All he had heard the sound of the metal clashing metal and the screaming in terror from the innocent citizens. _No… This isn't happening! The village is suppose to be peaceful and quiet, without killing and fighting… I'm just eleven years old kid for gods' sake!_

"Stop…" His purple hair bang shadowed his eyes as he said softly, clutching his fists painfully. "Stop…"

The screaming and shouting won't aside away at the soft sound of his voice so it kept doing again and again.

The villagers stabbed their house-made weapons through the knights' chests and the knight chopped one of the villagers' head off, ending a poor life. The dogs was barking and baring their fangs at the raiders and the town horses crying out in fear, galloping away from its home.

All chaos around him and he can't stand it with all noises.

"Stop fighting…" Zalo said slowly get loud and loud as the chaos in village causing him feels an anger rising inside him. His teeth gritting angrily, he was unable to controlling his rage in silent.

"STOP ALL NONSENSE FIGHTING I SAY!" He roared angrily, stomping his foot onto the ground. All knights and villagers stopped at once, staring at him in surprise and confusion as the fire continued burning down the houses in background.

The boy breathed heavily, the purple hair still shadowed his face and the sweats rolling down his cheeks mixing with angry tears. "Stop…" His hands reaching for his face trembling in silent anger as he whispered softly, collapsing on the ground. "No more…"

The ground sudden trembling a little until it get stronger and stronger, scaring all knights and villagers away.

"Zalo…?" Kyo whispered in awe, not understand what's going on as he stared in fear at his kneeling friend. "Are you okay?"

The scent of burning ashes filled around them as Zalo gripped tightly into the dirty ground. "Go…leave…" He gasped and then he gritted his teeth at the pain he was feeling inside.

Kyo frowned, reaching for the trembling boy but he was distractedly by the noise of rumbling under the ground. "Wha… What's going on!" He stood up looking around in confusion and fear.

The night sky turned into dark crimson and the burning golden-orange fire within houses turned into dark blue as the ground suddenly being thorn through by the gray-silver spears flew upward to the sky, scaring poor Kyo out of the hell.

"What the hell!" The crimson haired boy exclaimed in surprise, nearly dodged the spear shot upward from the ground next to him. "What is all this?"

The spears in the shop came to alive, flying wildly around tearing through the walls and impaling through every knight tried to get away from it and including all poor lives accidentally get in the way.

Eyes widened in horror at the scene as Kyo turned back to the trembling boy who held his head, weeping quietly. "Zalo…" He whispered softly as the crimson haired boy kneed next to the boy, placing his hands on his friend's shoulders.

"It's you… aren't I right?" He asked softly.

A little sob escaped from him, Zalo shuddered but he did not moving from his spot. _This isn't happening! What's going on? _He thought staring at the ground unaffected by the striking _alive_ spears like snakes torn through the village and the ground.

_It was something inside me… It snapped like a thread… _He clutched his chest tightly, as if he was trying to stop all the chaos that was coming from him. _It's out of control… what's happening to me!_

While Zalo was continuing in deep thought, one of the silver snake-like steel spears suddenly dove toward him catching Kyo's eyes. The dark crimson tainted haired boy darted toward his defenseless friend.

_Zalo! _A word rang through Kyo's thought shoving Zalo out of the way, but he hadn't time to dodge the one simple strike as it went through from his back to his chest before it yanked out of his body leaving him with a strangle gasp.

Widening his eyes in horror at his friend had saved his life, Zalo stumbled backward on the ground and then he quickly regained his balance. "_KYO!_" He screamed loudly as he quickly caught his friend in his arms. "Kyo…"

His friend weakly opened his light indigo eyes with pain-clouded. "Zalo…" He said with a strangle noise in his throat as he manage a smile at Zalo. "I, Kyou Zousa, won't let you die so easily!"

Zalo choked back a sob in his throat, burying his head onto his dying friend's bloody chest, but he doesn't care if he get blood on his face. "Kyo…"

"Aren't you suppose be Zalin Kousei who never allow himself cry, instead he should smile and cheer up like he suppose to be?" Kyo said softly, locking his eyes into Zalo's eyes knowing his friend hated being called such ridiculous name like 'Zalin'.

"It's Zaiji! No time for trying to humor me!" Zalo chuckled dryly, trying to be cheerful but failing. "Don't go…"

Kyo laughed until he coughed and then he sighed tiredly as his eyelids barely closing slowly. "Don't you dare… mourning over… me like that…" He cracked a teasing smile at his childhood friend. "Promise me…just you should… be… happy…just for me…promise me…please."

Zalo blinked and then he glanced down at the ground that was filled with crimson tainted liquid. He looked up to his friend's pale white face and cracked a sorrowful smile. "Yea. I promise."

The crimson tainted haired boy grinned wryly at him. "…Thanks… Just don't kill them all right… Revenge could drive you…to lose that sane mind of yours." With a weak chuckle and then a groan from his pain, he closed his eyes.

"Kyo!"

Kyo's eyelids barely opened, revealing his clouded indigo eyes and he smiled weakly. "Zalo… I'm so sorry…"

Zalo's red-brown eyes softened at this. "Kyo…"

Slowly looking up at the beautiful night sky, he smiled. "You… I had no choice but to push you away…" As he closed his eyes again, continued. "If I had not… you would have followed me anywhere… and probably shared my fate…" He reopened them and looked back to Zalo.

"Of course I would!" Zalo exclaimed loudly in determine.

Kyo shook his head and masked an amused smile on his face as he closed his eyes once again. "If a life must be traded for a pointless war…" He glanced up at the dark blue sky with millions of stars. "Myself and only me… should be plenty." He whispered and then he groaned in pain, clutching his bloody chest.

"But I don't have any…regrets…" He whispered through his gritted teeth, frowning. "In the village, with mom and dad…all of people in this village…and you…I had a beautiful life…"

Zalo watched down at the smiling boy and he knew Kyo knew what's next. _Kyo…_

"That itself…is what 'living' means…" Kyo said his eyes closed and smiled in peace, ignoring his pain.

Zalo clutched his dying body and sobbed silently. "K-K-Kyo…" His tears finally rolling down his cheeks from his closed eyes to the boy's face as he continued hug him tightly, trembling with great grief.

"Thank you… Zaiji…"

Zalo snapped his eyes opened with a surprise gasp. _Kyo… You… _

Continuing closed his eyes and still smile on his face, Kyo continued. "Every day I spent with you…was very happy."

The red-brown eyed boy dried his tears off with his sleeve and then he lowered his head. _Kyo…me too…_

"Zaiji…If it were possible, … once again… I'd like to meet you once again, …" Kyo said his words slower and slower until his voice barely less than a whisper. Kyo smiled at Zalo and glanced up at the night sky for one more last time.

He closed his eyes with a last sigh before a half-rouge and half brother-like smile on his face. "…my friend..." As his head rolled to the side and his body become limped.

"Kyo… Kyo… KYO!" Zalo yelled, sobbing furiously as he shook his friend few times before he finally stopped. "…Kyo…"

He gave a cracked smile sadly at Kyo. "Me too… my friend… me too…" He hugged Kyo for one more time again and let him go…

---

In the next morning, the hundred graves all over the ground next to the non-existed village. With all cross on each grave… one silver armor piece for every knights… one rose for every women… one weapon piece for every villagers…

And one toy piece for every child…

The sunrise rose, spreading its light all over the graves up until the lone grave on the top of hill… the sole survivor was still there kneeling in the front of the gravestone and held the piece of black spear.

Without mutter a word, he silently placed Kyo's beloved broken spear on the top of the grave. He stood up picking up a sack and placed over his shoulder, he turned around and walking away leaving the grave.

_Kyou Zousa_

_Winter 09 – The Year of Ox_

_Summer 23 – The Year of Dragon_

_The great son of Zousa_

_And the great friend forever._

---

Three years later… Zalo was 13 years old and he let his dark purple hair grew past his shoulders.

As he continued wandering on the road of the new village on the East of China, he was once a cheerful and easygoing child, but now he was a short-tempered and sulking teenager.

With a talent of his, he could steal some fruits and foods without any problem…until then he decided he goes for the _greedy_ nobles for money and steal 'em blind. He could give some of coins to the poor villagers and kept other to himself.

Until then he went to the city… it changed his life so sudden…

Running for his dear life, Zalo turned sharply on the left and sprint through the alley path, as the four guards chasing him like a crazy mob.

He glanced over his shoulder glaring darkly at the running guards as he continued running past the shops and avoid being bumped onto the unsuspected villagers. "Damn guards. Why didn't they just give up and do whatever their business are!"

He did make a mistake for a rule for thieves: Never look back…while running for life.

BANG!

His body suddenly crashed into another, both of the boys fell down on the ground with a loud groan. And then he heard a small voice came from the other boy on the ground clutching his head. "Ow."

Something inside his chest snapped and he leaped back on his feet. "WHAT THE HELLS! ARE YOU THINKIN' BRAT!" He yelled at the startled brown-haired teenage boy.

"Do you think you are doing by insulting my brother?" A calmly, but deadly voice behind the brown haired boy, causing the hot-tempered thief glanced sharply up at the icy amethyst-eyed dark boy crossing his arms and stared coldly at him.

"FEH!" Zalo scoffed rudely, sulking past the silent tall boy and the cheerful, easygoing boy. He turned his head looking down at the cheerful teen with a frown. "This brat? Not like I care." He mumbled to himself, as he was about to walk away.

The boy laughed ignoring the unseen insult, shaking his head. "Xuan, relax. I'm sure I'm fine with being called a brat… unlike Tai Zu…" He muttered the last sentence under his breath. "I'm Shinyu Pedsora. This is my brother, Xuan Pedsora."

Zalo blinked staring at Shinyu's friendly attitude toward him in muted surprise. "Zalo…" He hesitated, not sure what to trust them or not. "…Just Zalo." With a shrug, he turned away from them. "I'm leaving."

Suddenly, a cold yet deadly voice startled him so scaring him to death. "You think you're leaving with those stolen coins?" Xuan replied staring right straight through Zalo's skull and raised an eyebrow in amusing at the stiffen movement from the thief.

Zalo glared at Xuan and darkly muttering under his breathe before he replied, "Feh. What do you think? Turning me in those idiot guards?" He jerked his chin toward the searching guards. "Ha. Sorry to burst your bubble… Bye!" As he nearly knocked them away with his speed, grinning mischievously.

When he finally manage to lose those idiot guards, he sighed in relief and started to running through the alley, turning every left until someone suddenly stuck out his leg to trip him over.

"WHOAAAAAAAAAAA-_THUMP!_" Zalo yelped as he faced down onto the ground with a groan while the golden coins scattered all around him. Then suddenly he heard a familiar laughter behind him and he glared up at Shinyu who wasquickly snickering and Xuan the one who had tripped him with an amused look.

"WHAT WAS THAT FOR, YOU BASTARD!" Zalo howled angrily, pushed himself upward from the ground.

Xuan grinned, kneeling on one knee and lazily resting his arm on his other knee. "…That was for being rude to my brother… _Zalo._" He answered with a smile. "And even to me."

Zalo's left eye twitched in annoyance. _They don't know whether to quit, do they? _

---

One year later after being friend with the cheerful, easygoing idiot but an evil prankster Shinyu and the Mr. All-Knowledge-of-the-World-and-the-silent-prince-asshole-bastard Xuan.

"Nice nickname." Xuan dryly, raising an eyebrow at the nickname that Zalo called him in horrible mood.

"Thank you." Zalo said sarcastically in same tone as Xuan did. Suddenly, the angrily voice from the cook rang the sky and caused all boys but Zalo looked right to the direction.

"GET BACK YOU MUTT!" The cook yelled, shaking his fist wildly as the werewolf howled laughing. "GIMME MY MEAT BACK!"

He turned his head to the cook, still running forward. "Oh yea? Well, here is yours!" He chucked the bone at the cook and chuckled as the bone bonked off the cook's head, knocking him out cold.

Still running away from the cook, he turned back still grinning and he turned the left until…

WHA—AM!

"OW!"

"WHAT THE FUCK?"

"Wha--?"

"Hn…"

The werewolf sit up looking dazed and shook his head, blinking at the three humans in front of him. The light brown haired boy with dark green eyes blinking and rubbed his head painfully, the dark brown haired boy with amethyst eyes silently, looking bored at his brother and his friend.

'_The last one… the scary-looking purple haired with weird eyes… oh, look at veins. One… Two… Four… Errr… six, seven? Ten boiling, angry veins…'_ The werewolf thought to himself, blinking again.

"DAMN YOU FUCKIN' FLIHTY MUTT!" The hot-tempered teen howled angrily, rolled upward his sleeve to jerk his fist for ready to beat the idiot mutt up.

'_Eh… so such colorful language… Oh, look at the red beet face… It's not good.'_ The young werewolf laughed silently, knowing he was as good as dead by now.

"Zalo…"

The red-eyed hotheaded boy turned around sharply, glaring deadly at the amethyst-eyed calming, lightheaded boy held the china teacup in his hand. "WHAT?"

The calm boy held the teacup to Zalo. "Calm down, or popping your veins aren't going to help your boiling head." He said, turned to the startled werewolf. "I'm Xuan Pedsora. This is Shinyu, my brother and this hothead idiot is Zalo."

"Hey!" Zalo growled, crossing his arms and scowled darkly at Xuan who ignored his silent threat, waiting patiently. "What's your name?" He asked, looking down at the dazed werewolf.

The werewolf blinked and grinned goofy at them. "Yanji Wolf."

As now they had become friends, as poor Zalo was still not happy to having the new pup added to their group… They found out the new pup is known as lecher.

They watched him goes after a girl and talked to her until…

A female's voice shriek echoed through the village. "YOU PERVERT!"

_**SLAAAAAP!**_

A yelp from the lecherous werewolf as he fell down on the ground, clutching his red-mark cheek and he grinned idiotically at the three boys.

Zalo huffed, crossing his arms and glared down at the dazed-look mutt. "Damn mutt… You're always ruin their moment by groping their rears."

---

Two years later, he sat silently in the mini-bar. His friends went somewhere he don't ever care. "Hn." He narrowed his eyes. "He's probably seeing a oh-so-beautiful-girl Kisara. Xuan, probably at temple with Master Seth."

Then his thought drafted toward the mutt. "Ha. I bet he's chasing all girls and pull off with some stupid line."

Few hours later…

Zalo sipped the fourth sake cup and blinked in surprise at the werewolf, with huge bumps on his head, entered in the sake hut, clutching his head in dazed state. "Looks like you got your butt kicked, Mutt." He said amused, raising an eyebrow at Yanji. "What did you do? Peeking under few girls' skirt again?"

"No… worse." Yanji mumbled darkly, let his head fall onto the table with a dull thud. "I was going to peek the girls in spring and the branch snapped."

Zalo blinked and stared. Eh? He blinked again. Spring? Branch snapped?

Silence… so quiet in the sake hut, everyone could heard the cricket chirping outside.

"BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" The cold-hearted warrior laughed heartily, banging his fist against the table and tears in his eyes seem barely holding back. "Oh man! I should have known! Jiro's not going to be happy, no, she's pissed off a lot of hellwhen she found out you're one of our team as well!"

Yanji blinked confusedly at him, he had never heard the cold-hearted sword-fighter laughed before. "You're laughing?"

Silence again.

A few minutes passed.

"Do tell and you're dead street dog."

Yanji's confused face fell. At least he relieved that his friend's back to normal again. "Geez… I feel so unloved."

"Shut up."

Silence again.

"Argh! Aren't you saying something, the silence started getting to me!" Yanji whined, yanking his white hair and his ears pinned back in anger.

Zalo opened one of his eyes and glared at the werewolf. "…Yanji…"

Silence. Yanji turned his head and gawking at the warrior. "You called my name, not Mutt! Whoa! Your head's screw loose again. First laughing, and now you're called my name!"

Zalo let out a growl as warning in his voice. "Mutt…"

Yanji's shoulders stumped in defeated. "Oh, you're back again." He said pouted, crossing his arms and lend back against the chair.

"Mutt," Zalo said closing his eyes again, "Don't tell Shinyu, I'm planning to do something…I must do the first thing."

Yanji's long ears perked up. "Huh? What are you talking about, Zally?"

Zalo opened his eyes and looked back to the window, watching the raining. "I have a feeling… that I'm the first to go… soon or later… It did not matter now, Xuan's had to be the first I want to fight."

"…" Yanji looked down at the sake he was holding. "Why Xuan?"

Zalo remained quietly, continued watching the outside and his chin rest on his palm. "Xuan is the one who beats me in the showdown… He's the worth opposite I had ever had and fight against him. He's like the older brother I never had…" He closed his eyes. "I wanted to defeat him, to know I'm still… strong and well being worth to fight against him…"

"What if it's too late for you?"

Crimson eyes turned to the soft, dark gray eyes; Zalo frowned at the question as he held the sake in his hands. "It's not too late and I know it. But… I can't change what the fate was decided for me."

"You're fighting for nothing because you're going to die first…"

Zalo smirked. "I won't fight for nothing… I won't give up fighting yet… I'll rather fighting to death and I'm still fighting no matter whether I'm dead or not." His eyes flashed with determine and hardened. "I'm not letting the death claimed me. I'd rather let it dragging me kicking and biting to my doom."

Yanji smiled softly, "What about Shinyu…?"

Silence.

"Don't tell him. He will go after me. I'm not let him die after me."

"… Alright…" Yanji replied softly, staring down at the brown liquid in the bottle. "Very well then..." He drank his sake again.

Yanji knew Zalo's too determine and stubborn warrior, he's fighting to death. He didn't know Zalo's going to fighting through his death, saving his rival's young brother's life until it is too late for him to stop him from opening the death door.

Zalo was right about one thing… he can't change what the fate was decided for him…

He glanced back at the Dragon's Temple, which it will soon to be Xiao's Temple for training the dragon warriors.

He frowned. He had a bad feeling about the next morning… He had last seen Xuan had left the temple without a word and vanished for several days.

Until…the next morning he had seen Xuan stood in the rain day and had called him a traitor. He never had understood what the silent warrior meant by "What is the Darkness…?"

"It didn't make a sense…" He whispered under his breath, causing Yanji cocked his head to side like a confused dog.

"It didn't make what?" Yanji asked.

Zalo rolled his eyes. "Never mind."

---

The spikes pieced through the demon's flesh, spitting the blood all over the lake and grass. The crimson-brown eyes flashed through the darkness, snarling lowly to the demon. "I'd rather die than let you kill Shinyu, you bastard!" Zalo hissed tiredly, stuck his Coyote's Dark Claw with his right fist into the sea serpent's flesh.

He was slowly, sinking along with the dead demon to the underneath of the lake, to his downfall, to his death…

"Zalo!" Shinyu yelled dashing over the lake and reached for Zalo's hand. "Grab my hand!"

The cold-hearted warrior's eyes darted back to Shinyu and to the rebel's hand. Reaching his hand out for Shinyu, but decided against it as he rejected Shinyu and held his fist to his chest. "Go!" Zalo hissed tiredly, staring unblinkingly at the young rebel. "I will meet you there… I promise you. I need to fight Xuan…"

With the word he mutter, as he disappeared under the lake along with the dead ocean beast. He held his breath, continued struggling with effort in the coiled tail around his body. _Damn you salt-water snake! _

Suddenly, a memory of smiling Kyo held the black spear with a proud huff and the background the sparkling lake behind him entered Zalo's mind as he suddenly stopped his struggles.

_Kyo… _

_(("Zaiji…If it were possible, … once again… I'd like to meet you once again, …" Kyo said his words slower and slower until his voice barely less than a whisper. Kyo smiled at Zalo and glanced up at the night sky for one more last time. _

_He closed his eyes with a last sigh before a half-rouge and half brother-like smile on his face. "…my friend..." As his head rolled to the side and his body become limped. ))_

Zalo bowed his head; letting the bubbles out of his half-opened lips. His eyes become clouded with sorrowful, yet cheerful again. _Kyo… I'm suppose to be happy just for you… I guess I did break a promise, didn't I? _

Closing his eyes, he continued sinking down the underground while the water around him getting colder and colder. _Damnit… Kyo, Xuan's too strong… I can't beat him… I'm not strong enough…to be like you… _

_Kyo… Maybe… only one who can beat the sense back into him… is which that isn't me… Never just me… Friends… Shinyu… Yanji… Xuan… Dashi… everyone… _

He manage a smile and looked up at the moonlight above the underwater, it was all he could see… surround the darkness around him gaining more and more until he could see moonlight no more.

Suddenly, Xuan's voice rang in his fogged mind. _"What is the Darkness…?"_

_So… that is what he meant… It's not that bad as he think… _He thought with a triumphed smirk. _Rather, it's the opposite of darkness…it's the true form of the darkness… Only that Xuan knew that Ariko didn't… Xuan, I only misunderstood you… _

The darkness below him swallowed him whole. A last thought rang through his skull before he embraced the cold touch of the black fog.

_When I'm back, I'll get you back for the place where you tripped me over…_

…

…

…

**End of the Chapter 10**

* * *

Me: Okay, Zalo's finished. Next upcoming: Kisara, Xiao Lin, Dashi, and Liz Gon. All in one past of the Dragon's Temple about their family and their life… 

Zalo: Sound boring.

Me: (roll eyes) Hn. Okay, please read and reviews this chapter. Thank you very much!


	12. Believe In You

Me: Well, Disclaimer: I do not own Xiaolin Showdown and its characters… I only own my muses and my own wu(s).

Khu: It's time for Xiao Lin, Kisara, Dashi, and you (Liz Gon) in all one chapter with sharing the same past...in their own POVs.

Lobo: Yep! All right! (grin)

Me: (nod) Ok, then… Let's get the story began! Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 11– Believe In You**

…

…

…

- - Xiao Lin's Past - -

_We've found a kind of paradise in a sakura bloom._

_We've seen the end of a mystic land so close it meets the parting sun._

_We've shared the thoughts that two could share; we feel the truth, magic that we send..._

_Searching for something freedom_

_Isle of Paradise in a sakura bloom _

_We've heard a kind of paradise beyond the desert's dunes._

_We've walked the earth in solitude, so cold we need the warmth of sun._

_We've lived the life that we could live; we see the truth magic that begins... _

_Searching for something courage_

_Isle of Paradise in a sakura bloom_

_We've found a kind of paradise, below a sky so new._

_We've weaved a web of mystery so wide; we need the light of day._

_We've worn the cloak of secret lives; we've seen the truth, magic that we send..._

_Searching for something love_

_Isle of Paradise in a sakura bloom _

_So when will it end?_

_So when, when will we meet, my friend?_

Before the Dark War began… 18 years ago…

The 10-years-old young boy named Xiao Lin opened his gray-bluish eyes to the peaceful sky, his face looked thoughtful while he had a long grass in his mouth. "Hmmm…" He hummed in thoughtful, clenching a long grass in his teeth. "No clouds… Too quiet… At least it's peaceful…"

As he grinned to himself, "And no more that annoying brat little brother! Yep, it's peaceful here!"

"GOTCHA!" He turned to the sound of his brother as he was tackled to the ground with the familiar heavy on top of him.

"GAH! GET OFF, Dashi!" Xiao yelled pushing himself and his little brother off the ground, ignoring the startle cry of his little brother. "Why can't I get a peace alone?"

As if the gods answered to his question. His thoughts were cut short as he heard a sound. It was quiet at first, but it got louder.

_"WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSSSSHHHH!"_

"Huh?" The boys blinked in union, looking at each other in confusion and then they looked up at the sky.

The two form of an egg was falling. It looked as though they were falling right out of the sky. Dashi blinked at the unfamiliar dot and only getting closer and closer until…. The one of the two forms came crashing down onto the hay, exploding with dust around where Xiao Lin and Dashi are.

Xiao Lin gawked at the unrecognizable egg that had just come crashing down, just a yard away from him. He recognized the shape of an egg. "An…an…dragon egg?" He muttered in confusion and being stunned at same time.

"Alright, a pet!" He yelled joyfully, earned himself a deadly glare from his older brother as he clutched the strange-looking dark green with light green and red spotted egg in his hands and his eyes seem unfocused and dazed. "Wonder what it looked like…"

"Probably a man-eating creature." His older brother muttered angrily, crossing his arms and glared darkly at the innocent-looking egg. "It nearly killed me if it weren't for you, Dashi."

"Aw, my dear brother, it's only an egg. I know! I'll name it after me Dashi Jr.!" Dashi grinned trusting his egg to his brother's face as Xiao Lin rolled his eyes. "I bet it won't like his own new name…and probably eat you for it."

Dashi huffed. "You're just afraid you know! Always avoid the danger of the world!"

"You wouldn't know there's some UNKNOWN CREATURES OUT THERE! Fine. If it hatched and eats you, don't come to me wailing and crying!" Xiao Lin huffed angrily, turned around sharply and stomping toward his hometown.

"NAAAAAH!" Dashi stuck out his tongue at his older brother. "You won't admit you're afraid of dragons!"

Xiao Lin halted his track; twitching silently at the words his brother accused him of. "What was that! Me! Afraid of that wimpy dragons thing!" He shouted, turning around and glared at Dashi.

He stomped to his brother and tapped the egg little too _gently_, "There. I tap it. Nothing bad happen!"

_Crack…_

Both of them stared down at the tiny crack on the egg in Dashi's arms and then they glanced at each other. Dashi stared blankly at his brother and said quietly, "Um… Here!" He quickly trusted an egg into Xiao Lin's arms, startling him in surprise.

"W-w-wait a minute! It's yours now!" Xiao Lin cried quickly handed an egg back into Dashi's arms again. Between the brothers continued pushed back and forward on poor egg to another until it unexpectedly hatched.

_Sileeeeeeeeeeeeence…_

The boys stared in muted surprise at the small baby dragon with shined green scales and softly feather-like red fur on it's back and a tip of its tail that was sleeping while curling into a ball in the shell of an green and red egg.

Suddenly, it opened its yellow eyes and blinked at them. After few minutes later, he grinned up at them. "Heeeeey! My name's Dojo Kanojo Cho! What are your names, hmmm?" He talked rapidly, jumping out of the egg and onto Dashi's shoulder.

Xiao Lin stared blankly at the snake-like green dragon, ignoring the dragon introduced itself as he studied the lizard dragon. "Huh, it's not a dragon… a weird gecko."

Bristling at the word Xiao Lin called him, the green dragon scowled darkly at Xiao Lin and breathed deeply…

And then he spat at him with a weak fire in the face. "I'm NO A GECKKKKKKKKKKKO!"

"AH! OW!" Failing his arms wildly, Xiao Lin running around and suddenly he jumped in a nearby lake. "That bastard creature!"

Laughing at his older brother, Dashi grinned back to the new friend. "Dojo, isn't it? Welcome to home!"

Xiao Lin watched his brother and a new friend Dojo went off to the hometown. He sighed, rubbing his nearly burned face. "I wonder… where's other egg go to? Probably putting poor humans out of their misery…"

"Hopefully not, Xiao Lin."

He turned his head to the direction of the voice and smiled at his childhood friend. "Shin Zu… Where's your brother?"

Shin Zu, the white Shinobi from the West, blinked in surprise and sighed in annoyance. "Tai Zu? He's just…Ugh, annoying."

Xiao Lin laughed. "So is Hey Lin. She's not annoying…she just…" He shuddered as he turned his back to her. "So creepy and all knowing Sorcereress."

The white shinboi chuckled in goodheartedly at him and then she sat down on the grass, clenching around her arms onto her knees. "As excepted of you, you two are just opposite… just like Tiger God and Dragon God."

They started laughing, watching the birds soaring through the sky, Shin Zu looked down at the lake. "Xiao Lin…"

"Hmm?"

Shin Zu looked back to Xiao Lin with her gold eyes. "You're the Dragon of Spirit, right? Hey Lin's the Tiger of Wood… My brother and I got nothing but the clan of Shinboi and Ninjitsu…"

The soon-to-be training in Dragon of Spirit glanced down at the lake, watching the beautiful colored fishes swimming around in the water. "I'm sure you'll get it soon or later… I'm sure of that."

"But! I heard from the Head of the Wiccan said so herself that 8 years later you'll meet them…" Shin Zu trailed off, staring at her hands resting in her lap.

Xiao Lin frowned. "Them?"

"The legends… 10 warriors who possessed with 10 elemental powers. You're the 11th warrior who get the power of Spirit…"

Xiao Lin frowned deeply more. "Eleven warriors? I thought it's twelve warriors or so I heard."

"Actually…it's thirteenth warriors." She corrected sheepishly, scratching behind her head at him.

"Whu…? But you said there are ten other children I'll meet. Why not all of them!" He exclaimed, walking out of the lake while his clothes dripping onto the ground as he walked to her. "Well!"

"…I do not know… Hey Lin said she cannot see that so far in the future… She wasn't sure of what the Gods had something up for all of other children…even you." She stated looking down, avoiding the eyes of the dragon of Spirit.

"…If it is what I think it is… then so be it…" Xiao Lin whispered softly, looking down at her while shadowing his eyes under his hair bangs. "And what else I should to know of…?"

"…"

"Shin Zu!" Xiao Lin yelled anxiously, knowing what kind of his future lie upon him. She remained silently and says nothing.

"Please…?" He pleaded with her, gently holding her arm. _I don't like it either… I know it…_

"…You'll meet her… and be guard of what's coming to you…"

"…S-Shin Zu…?" Xiao Lin said softly, looking confused. "What… does it mean…?"

Suddenly, she let out a sob as she wretched out of his grasp, running away from him and Xiao Lin was surprised at sudden movement from her. "Shin Zu!"

"I'm so sorry!" She whimpered as she disappeared over the hill.

"Shin Zu…"

Letting his hand down to his side, he looked down at the ground. "…Shin Zu…" He whispered in confusion. "What's going on? Why is that scared you to see what's the future lie before us?"

_I believe in you…_

- - Dashi's Past - -

After the sunset behind the Twin Mountains, the 9 years old young boy named Dashi peeked over the cloth door at the bump under the sheet on the mat in the darkening room. "Xiao Lin…?" He whispered, covering the dragon's mouth knowing what was it like to mouthing off in front of Xiao Lin. "What's matter? You come home with gloomy looking?"

"Nothing…" The relay from the mat his brother was laying on. "Where's the Father, anyway?"

Dashi blinked in surprise at his brother and frowned when he realized his brother changed the subject on purpose… He guessed he'll let it slip and find out what's wrong with his brother later.

"Father had a meeting… with Mother in this time." He finally answered after couple of minute, watching his brother jerked out of the white sheet blinking in surprise.

"Mother… here? After one whole summer?" Xiao Lin asked disbelief, his eyes lit in hope and wanting to believe so badly that their mother had come back. "Where is she?"

"…" Dashi glanced down at the floor. "Actually, she showed up unexpectedly and she collapsed from what other monks said… She held the strange clothe to her chest…"

Xiao Lin quirked up one of his eyebrow in question. _What strange clothe…?_

"Maybe it's an child…" The voice suddenly spoken, startling them as the green dragon scratching his scale skins chin in thoughtful.

Dashi frowned at the dragon, and then he glanced back to his brother and then he glanced back to the dragon again. "What do you mean… an child?" He asked almost accused the dragon.

Dojo held his claws in surrender, shrugging his little shoulders. "I do not know. She smelled a lot like you two. Except for… she's got a aura of little zephyr around her."

_She? _Xiao Lin thought nearly face faulted at the dragon._ Zephyr? Wait a minute… That means…_

"WIND!" He yelped loudly, drawing everyone's attention to him including his brother and the dragon. "She's the one! She's the one!" He turned around and rushed down to where the resting room was.

"Wait brother!" Dashi yelled after being recovered from a sudden outburst from his brother and he chased after him holding the poor dragon in his grasp.

_What's wrong, Xiao Lin? Did the wind do something with Mom and the child girl? _He silently wondered.

Until he clashed onto the back of his brother while Xiao Lin stood by the doorway, Dashi held his head and glared up at him. "That hurt! Why are you standing for?"

"Mother…"

Dashi blinked. "Huh?" He turned and stared at the beautiful woman lying quietly in the mat, maybe sleeping. She was being covered white sheet and the child was in his father's arms sleeping and cooing softly. "Is that mom…?"

True, they had seen her once but never get good look at her.

"Xiao Lin… Dashi…" They looked startled at the weak voice had came from the woman. "Come here…please…"

The young boys staggered quietly toward to their mother and both sat in a polite manner in front of her. "Mom…" Dashi began. "What is matter? You looked so pale…are you ill?"

"Dashi!" Xiao Lin whispered sharply, elbowing his brother's side while he silently agreed with Dashi that mother did look indeed ill with pale face and sweating all over.

The mother smiled softly at them and then she looked over the sleeping child. "Sha-Mo, please let me have her…"

The Father nodded, silently handing the sleeping child to her. _Mushu…_

"Dashi… Xiao Lin… My precious sons," Mushu whispered smiling weakly but looking better when she held a baby in her arms. "Say hello to your new sibling… a little sister… Kisara…"

Dashi glanced down at the child and gasped in surprise as the child opened her eyes… _Blue…_

_As the sky… _

He could heard his brother inhaled sharply in a startled surprise behind him and…

"Awww… how cute!" _Dojo… _

"Dojo?" The sons yelled in union, nearly forgetting about the idiot dragon. Mushu was taken back in surprise at the strange creature.

_Oh no! We're doomed! _Dashi thought, sweat dropping as much as his brother in worst state.

Suddenly, they heard a cheerful laughing like a bell and they stared in awe at the child. She had taken liking to Dojo and pulled poor Dojo's beard.

"OW!" Dojo cried out as everyone laughed at him.

A lone sakura petal fall on the ground where the living sakura tree in the temple... in the spring of phoenix…

_I believe in you…_

- - Kisara's Past - -

10 years later…

The light blue haired girl sat on the rock that was surround the sparking lake, dripping her feet into the cold water while humming in a quiet song. She was now a 17 year old and had already become a part of Temple Dragon Clan.

Her step-sister had joined the family 2 years later after their mother had died. She hadn't gotten a chance to know about her step-sister since the girl disappeared and reappeared during the autumn and the winter.

"Kisara?"

She blinked in surprise and glanced slowly up to seeing whom she wanted to see. "Liz Gon?" She whispered wondering why her step-sister had come instead of the time of the Phoenix.

The girl had a light blond past her shoulders and dressed in crimson robe with white stain bow. Her remarking hazel eyes that seem so pierced though the soul. The monks told Kisara that the girl held a mysterious power that cannot allow any injures fall on her.

"Ah, so that where you are in the time of peace…" Liz Gon said softly, looking around in the forest. "No wonder in the village had that idiotic boys who are causing of chaos upon them."

Kisara sweatdropped at this. _She probably preferring to Shinyu and others. _

"What are you doing here, Liz Gon? Aren't you suppose be in training with Mistress Hey Lin and Master Seth?" Kisara asked out of her curiosity, looking down at the koi fishes in the lake.

"Hey Lin… hmm… she had to go back and discussing with our dear brother Xiao Lin." Liz Gon muttered shaking her head. "And Master Seth, eh? Ah, probably being victim of Shinyu's pranks."

Kisara quickly looked away, blushing softly but sadly, Liz Gon seem caught the sight of her blush. Liz Gon smiled understandingly at her, "I see. I'm glad he is so lucky to have a great girl like you."

Kisara blushed madly, "Liz Gon!"

"Go for it, Kisara." The soon-to-be Mistress of Immortal grinned. "Don't let him waiting too long for you!" She pushed her away from the lake and directed her to the Temple Dragon village.

Kisara smiled at her and bowed at her before she ran to the hometown in the search of her love.

_A love of sakura bloom… it brings the light of love to the land of rising sun… _

_I believe in you…_

- - Liz Gon's Past - -

16 years ago… the time of the winter where the new person come in the family of Dragon Temple clan…

The girl in the dark red robe while she had a white bow on her long braid ponytail hair and her striking blue-green eyes in full of curiosity and wonder. She was with the mistress who married the master of the Dragon Temple clan.

_CLASSSSSSSSSSH! WHACK! THUMP! THUMP!_

She stared in surprise at the direction of noises and then next thing she knew, a small creature lurched to her face, earning a startle cry from her as she fell on her rear on the floor.

At same time as the two boys burst through the door, screeching their feet in harsh halt in surprise and horror while they stared at her and the small creature.

_Geez, what a wonderful way to greeting! _She thought in annoyance to herself as the small creature seem to realize who it was clinging to and quickly get off of her in apologizing.

Wait… was that little creature did apologize to her?

She did take a double look at the small creature and recognize the shape of the green legless lizard with two arms. "A dragon…"

"Finally! Someone did recognize me as a dragon!" The dragon wailed happily, waving its small arms in the air wildly.

"…lizard?" Liz Gon finished watching the poor dragon fell over in a mix of surprise and horror. Perhaps anger?

"Uh, miss, are you injured?" She blinked in surprise and glanced up at the taller boy of two brothers asked her, lending his hand to her.

"Um… No." She shook her head before she grabbed his hand and lifted herself up to the ground. "I am well… in fact." She muttered the last sentence that the boys did not understand her.

"Well, I apologize for the dragon's rudeness…" The boy began, scratching behind his head and grinned at her.

"Hey!" The dragon protested hotly but sadly, everyone ignored him.

"…My name is Xiao Lin. This is my brother, Dashi and his stupid pet, Dojo-whatever-Cho."

"It's Dojo Kanojo Cho!" The dragon growled, crossing his arms and glared darkly at Xiao Lin.

Liz Gon took a good look at each of them and smiled at herself softly. "Liz Gon." She introduced herself to them. _Maybe… It will get interesting to live with them… _

Then 12 years later after she was introduced to the sister of the brothers and her mother disappeared to gods-knows-where.

Liz Gon sighed, rubbing her forehead while muttering something about the stupid boys and stupid animals. _Why I have to be a mistress of immortal in the first place! _

The day of her power revealed because of… her first battle…

_(Flashback)_

"OW!" She cried out falling onto the ground, clutching her arm. "What was that for!" She growled at the poor dragon in a full large form that had suffering a cold.

"Sorry. I just had a cold." Dojo apologized, sniffling and rubbing his reddish nose. "That damn Dashi made a first magical spell. Aaaaaachoooooooooooo!"

"Ach!" Xiao Lin yelped as he avoided a fire blast and shook his head. "Then how did you get…err… easily sick?"

Dojo sniffled hastily, scratching his head in confusion. "I do not know… My dad said something like we had special ability to sense a magical object or being. My brother had a ability to sense magical being while I possessed a ability to sense a magical object."

Xuan glanced up away from the scroll he was reading under the tree to the huge dragon. "Probably it is what Dashi was doing in the reading room. I heard he said once he get a magical with lightning. He'll named it after himself."

Liz Gon stared at Xuan in a mix of disbelief and annoyance. "Dashi is what? Naming that magical thing after himself?"

Xuan chuckled shaking his head and shrugged his shoulder that showed he do not know that either.

"I wish Master Seth and Mistress Hey Lin haven't taught him and Wuya about Magical spells." Dojo grumbled, holding his poor nose and backed off from the pissed off young mistress.

"Wait… look at your arm!" Xiao Lin yelled in surprise, catching everyone's attention to Liz Gon's burned arm that was suddenly healed.

"What's happening?" Jiro asked staring in awe at Liz Gon's arm.

"I believe so this is a true power of Immortal." The voice answered behind the young teenagers, startling them.

"I-I-Immortal? No way…" Liz Gon gaped at Master Seth, shaking her head in dental. "I'm just a human. There's no way I received a god's power."

"As excepted of a true mistress of immortal from you, you have a destiny to be the elemental warrior like the Dragon warriors and Tiger Warriors." Master Seth replied, glancing over to the teenagers. "As a mistress of immortal, you also have a special ability to healing yourself and others. Even protecting the lives with creating a barrier."

_(Flashback End)_

"It is too real for me to grasp the truth in front of me whole time…" Liz Gon sighed fussing over her mistress robe. She blinked at the person appeared at the gateway, waiting for her while crossing arms across the chest.

"Chase Young…?"

The man in the blue Chinese clothes quickly bowed in greeting to her. "Liz Gon."

The mistress of immortal quickly climbs up the stair to meet him but seeing the grimace look on the once proud master, she stopped her track. "What's wrong?" She said softly, knowing the news she don't like it if it was coming from Chase Young himself.

"Wuya betrayed us all…"

Liz Gon froze. _No… _

_First Xuan… now Wuya… What's going on! _

"Betrayed us to who?" Liz Gon asked fearfully, knowing there is a great evil that Gods spoke of in caution since a week after Xuan left.

Chase Young glanced up at the sky and then he looked away, frowning in though. "That… I do not know. But be on guard, young mistress. I do not like the look of the situation. May we go see your brother?"

"_Step-brother._" The male voice quickly corrected behind Chase Young. "Master Monk Guan is already inside, Chase Young."

Liz Gon turned her head to Xiao Lin. "Where are the others?" She asked following them to the temple where the waiting room was.

"They are already in the waiting room, probably waiting for you two to come too." Xiao Lin answered, stepped into the waiting room.

"Liz Gon!" Hearing her name, she turned to Kisara and saw the group of Dragon and Tiger clans.

It was when she heard his brother announced loudly to them.

"In the hand of great evils I've fear so greatly. That is why I must ask you, my dragons, to protect these objects from the evil forces. I beg all of you, dragons, for Four Gods' sake." Xiao Lin said, looking each of Shinyu, the Dragons and Tigers.

Shinyu mumbled, "And even wonder why I knew there must be end of the world every time I hear it in rest of my life?"

Xiao Lin glared silently at Shinyu as the Tiger of Lightning shrank back in fear away from the elder monk and chuckled nervously. "Errr… Never mind."

"And may I introduced you to my two best students…" Xiao Lin said sidestepped, revealing two older men stood proudly and stone-looking expression. "Guan and Chase Young."

Yuiku rushed past all Tigers and Dragons nearly clashed over Shinyu with huge smile and his blue eyes sparkling with full of happiness. "Oh wow! Great Legendary Master Monk Guan! And infamous Master Young with all legendary martial arts!" He exclaimed, bowing his head at the two best students. "I worship you walk to the ground…. I mean, I walk you to worship…I mean…." He stuttered, clutching his head trying to figure it out how to correct his saying.

All Tigers and all Dragons but Yuiku sweat dropped, looking trying not to laugh and grinned helplessly at each other as Master Monk Guan smiled gently down at young Yuiku and pat on Yuiku's blue hair. "It's alright. I understand completely what do you meant."

Xiao Lin smiled and then frowned, looking back at the black mountain. He had a bad feeling about something went wrong since Xuan left.

Liz Gon noticed the strange behavior of her step-brother and frowned. _Xiao Lin…_

_--- _

_After two months later, she left the Dragon Temple because of her step-brother was killed by the evil spirit possessing in Xuan, who also left the temple for somehow reason. She knew Xiao Lin banished him because of the power of Darkness and fear for Xuan's safety._

_So she went over the Black Mountain where the Temple of Tortoise (since replaced with Black Serpent in a year later) and accidentally collided with the evil being… Ariko. The reincarnation of the Black Leviathan God._

_In exchange for freeing Xuan, she asked him to fight if she lose she will gave up her life and her power. _

_In relay to her challenge, he accepted her offer and introduced her to the dark version of a Xiaolin Showdown…_

_Heylin Showdown. _

_In surprise at the showdown, she knew of a Heylin showdown she had seen from the side of Heylin Tigers thanks to Yanji's idea. But she accepted the Heylin Showdown, knowing it was a death showdown and there is a slim chance for her to escape to live. _

_After six hours later, the dark being loses a showdown to her. In blind fury, he used the black sphere known as…_

_Leviathan's Orb. _

_One of the dark Sheng-Gong-Wu. _

_He trapped her in a glass tube, keeping her alive in her sleep. Being an immortal in active prevented her from dying in old age, she knew the true curse of immortal was finally awakened within her. _

_Years after years, she had no knowledge of what happening during the dark war between warriors and the evils. She may never see them…_

_Xuan…_

_Zalo…_

_Kisara…_

_Shinyu…_

_Dashi…_

_Everyone…_

_Farewell… I'm sorry that I can't be there to help you to fight…_

_I believe in you…_

The aura of immortal suddenly disappeared off the face of the Earth, the gods thought the mistress had died unknowingly and began to weeping upon the child. Therefore, the spiritual animals including the wolf clan and feline clan knew one day if the evil was awakened in next dynasty, then the child of immortal will followed after him again.

…

…

…

**End of the Chapter 11**

* * *

Me: (sigh in relief) Finally… there's 11th chapter finished now. (grin) Now please review after this. Thank you! 


	13. The City of Walls

Me: Well, Disclaimer: I do not own Xiaolin Showdown and its characters… I only own my muses and my own wu(s).

Khu: It's time for Aaku's past in the 12th chapter!

Lobo: Yep! All right! (grin) Do you realize that Aaku person is a girl? Lizgon can be so confusing sometimes…

Me: (nod and then paused) Hey! (glared at Lobo before she smiled at readers) Ok, then… Let's get the story began! Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 12 – The City of Walls**

…

…

…

- - Aaku's Past - -

Before the Dark War began… 16 years ago…

12 years old young girl rode on the creature of half horse and half bird across along the longest wall until the enormous gate appeared in front of her. She patted on the creature's bird-like head and grinned at it. "Shinwa, show me where Seiichi-kun is." She asked tugging gently the leash on the legend bird.

"Kaa-Kaa!" Shinwa cawed as the horse bird gaited through the gate and both looking for the man named Seiichi.

"Aaku-chan!"

Hearing the call of her name, Aaku turned her head toward the direction of the call and found the boy running to her. "Teiku-kun? Where is Seiichi? I got a message from the west temple that Seiichi is seen with other samurais…he's heading here."

"He is in the healer's shelter." Teiku relayed, looking up at her. "And your father is very worried about you. Where are you going to, Aaku-chan?"

"To where the sun is rising." Aaku answered looking away from the look on the boy. Meaning she was at the graveyard of the ancient war since Leviathan's defeat. "And to the west of Black Mountain."

"Black Mountain!" Teiku exclaimed in surprise. "That's a hometown of dark creatures! Are you insane, Aaku?"

Aaku smiled weakly at him. "I'm fine. I got Shinwa, Fak, and Kika with me."

The boy quirked an eyebrow up at her, his dark navy blue eyes locked her bright blue eyes with a stare. "Fak? Kika? Who are they?"

"They are the Ave Clans, a falcon creatures." Aaku beamed happily, "They are the guardians of the Black Mountain, saying they do not want another evil like Leviathan arose again."

Teiku remained silent.

_Yes, a hundred years ago the leviathan, a sea serpent of water and darkness, fought against four of its kind. The Dragon… the winged lizard of ice and lightning, the Phoenix… the paradise bird of fire and light, the Tortoise… the wise turtle of earth and wood, the Tiger…the proud feline of wind and metal. _

_Of course, the humans and the animals hadn't seen the great gods' true power, only seen the elements of nature upon the world fighting against the dark force of evil. They do not know which elements are belonging to the five gods. _

"What about Hikari-sama… and Yami-sama?" The boy asked softly, glancing upward the slowly blackening sky.

Aaku stopped as the horse bird stopped too.

_The Hikari lady is the source of the souls while the Yami lord is the source of the hearts. One side of white while one another side of black. One gentle while another harsh… _

_The light of divine, the lady, is the source of the elemental powers while the dark of sin, the lord, is the source of creatures. _

_Everything peace upon the world of creatures and humans…until the dark lord created the Leviathan, the black snake. Leviathan was once a gentle creature of darkness until his new power consumed him and leaves him with hungry for more power. It turned against the creator of its own exist and break the law by opening the gate of darkness. _

_It release the true horror of the darkness… _

_The seven sins… The seven demon lords… _

_Pride… _

_Sloth… _

_Wrath… _

_Lust…_

_Greed…_

_Gluttony_

_And Envy… _

_Each of seven demons took over the heart, mind, and soul of humans and creatures. No one knew of their true form unless the light lady exposed them. _

_It had been a thousand years since the seven sin demons seen roaming through the world and never seen again. If the creator of seven demon lords, the Leviathan, will rise and let the demon came back and let whatever they desired again. _

_The Lust took the form of lava and was now named Roi… The Sloth took the form of metal and was now named Yaki… The Envy took the form of earth and was now named Meku… The Pride took the form of water and was now named Susku..._

_Wrath, Gluttony and Greed remained unknown to the humans and creatures. Three names they only knew in exist are… Luce, Maijra, and Ragku._

"…I do not know…" Aaku admitted shrugging her shoulders. "My teacher hadn't say anything about that."

"The lady and the lord hadn't been seen since the first battle between the Leviathan and the Four Gods." The male's voice agreed behind the children as they jumped in surprise.

"Master Seth?" Aaku exclaimed in surprise and bowed at the second head leader of the west temple. "…How's Yuiku?" She added shyly as Teiku twitched behind her and frowning at the name of another boy.

_Aaku…_ Teiku thought feeling a uncomfortable tug inside him, _who is Yuiku, anyway! _

"Ah. Young student of mine is fine, thank you, young child." Master Seth nodded, stoking his beard. "Young Aaku-chan… I wish to inform you that you are the fourth chosen to receive the power of earth. Am I wrong?"

Teiku stiffed at this as his dark blue eyes darted to the girl next to him. _Aaku… Why don't you tell me that you're the one controlling over the earth? It would explain that earthquake…_

Aaku avoided the eyes on her, looking down at the ground as she remembered the nearly chaos of earthquake upon the city when she was… in her state. "…Yes, Master Seth." She looked up at him. "Who are the others at the Temple of West, aside Yuiku, Kisara, and Liz Gon?"

"There are four children… Xuan, Shinyu, Zalo, and Yanji." Master Seth stated, turning around and walked over to Aaku's father. "Aaku, you'll like them… You'll see." As he left, Teiku turned to her.

"Don't go, Aaku-chan…"

Aaku was taken back in surprise. What's happening to Teiku who supported her about going to the temple of west but now he begged her not to go?

"Teiku-kun…" Aaku said softly, lifting her chin to him with a look of confusion on her face when she looked at him. "Seiichi's living in the area of Temple of West… Why? Don't you want to see Dashi and Xiao Lin?"

Teiku bit his lower lip and averted his glance from her; of course, it had been over two years since the brothers visited the city of walls to see their old friend with Shin Zu.

"What… about Shinwa?" He whispered softly, he could not yell at her… "He'll be upset that you left without saying good bye to him?"

Aaku smiled sadly, as she reached for his hand and held his hand tight in her hands. "You'll take care of my Shinwa, won't you Teiku-kun?" She asked looking hopeful. _Teiku…_

It's been a three months since he last saw her and he promised to taking care of her horse bird, Shinwa.

_Aaku… _

----

16 years later, in the Dark War…

"EARTH!"

The enormous rock hurled itself against the demon of lava, earning a cry of pain from the demon of lava. The woman in the green kimono while she had a dark green headband around her forehead as she stood from the hill of spiking rocks. "Who are you, anyway?" She asked coldly, glaring at her.

The demon raised her head and her ruby eyes glaring at the earth warrior. "I'm Roi, the Demon of Lava and the lady of fire. I should have kill you when you were a child… earth weakling!" She snapped angrily, raising the wall of lava to dangerously high.

The morning was cold and cruel. Dawn had crept into the seared and blackened battleground, the fine streams of wavering sunlight sending wisps of vapor into the sky to mingle with the tendrils of smoke that still reached into the air like the rippling arms of wraiths.

She walked among the ashes and felt the still-warm earth heat the soles of her boots. Everywhere splashes of red peeked from beneath boulders and piles of uprooted earth. Sometimes, it was the pieces of corpses had simply been trapped. Other times, it was the blood of one who had been less fortunate.

She doesn't know where that idiot troublemaker Shinyu… and the annoying black dragon are. Praying that they would be okay as long as they better to be come back so she could knocked some sense back into their so called brain, the Full Dragon of Earth grumbled angrily as she walked across the blackened battleground until she ran into the demon of lava.

Moving backward away from the sight of enormous lava wall, she was too close to defend herself against the hot fire. _NO! NO! No! Damn, it's too close I can't defend myself without burning myself. _

"WATER!"

She saw something move in the corner of her eye and turned to see the familiar blue uniform of a water dragon as he twisted and landed himself along the ground and toward the demon of lava. His right arm moved upward in graceful like a dragon while his left arm was bleeding at his side and he bled from several cuts on his shoulders. From the way he exhausted heavy, he'd undoubtedly broken one or two of his ribs, yet he still had the determination to try and fight.

She smiled as the trait reminded her of a handsome young boy she knew. "Yuiku!" She yelled happily to him as the demon of lava hissed hateful at the water Roi don't like. Roi can handle the demon of ocean, but not the dragon of water.

"Aaku… Are you injured?" Yuiku asked quietly to Aaku while staring coldly at Roi. Aaku shook her head in negative, assuming him that she was fine. "But you're bleeding!" She whispered looking over to his wounds.

"It is nothing pained me more than seeing the death of my people." He said looking pained, not from his wounds but from mourning over the monks he knew of was killed by the demons.

The demon of lava growled, not happy with being ignored by the children. "Silence, you ignorance pests!"

Aaku scowled darkly at the demon of lava. "Who are you callin' us pests, you flamin' bitch!" She yelled shaking her fist angrily at Roi and stepped forward but Yuiku stopped her with his arm. "Yuiku?"

"Let me fight her, my good friend…" Yuiku said quietly, narrowing his grayish blue eyes at the lava demon. "While you'll go aid with others. Some need your power of Earth only you can do against the Steel Demon."

"But Yuiku…"

"But nothing! Now leave!"

Aaku wisely shut up and scattered leaving Yuiku and the monstrous Roi, knowing the water always victory over the fire. _Yuiku… Be safe, you idiot… _

She knew she could never be imposing Kyrta to impress him. He had a place in his heart for a girl she could never to be… No matter how many times she tries to get his attention to her instead of Kytra.

_Kyrta… _

The Tiger of Ice had disappeared right after the meeting room, no one knows where she was and she suppose to be with group while be announced as a Tiger of Ice.

_Kyrta… You missed your chance to be a full Tiger of Ice… Why you have to disappear in first place…? _Aaku wondered continued running toward other groups.

_**Flashback**_

"_Kyrta!" 18 years old Aaku ran to another girl in light pale blue kimono as the shortened blue haired girl turned around to see her. _

"_Aaku? What are you doing here?" She said in surprise. _

"_Xiao Lin wished to inform us that he wants to tell us. Maybe I could be Dragon or Tiger of Earth?" Aaku said hopefully, she could control over Earth since she was a child. _

"…" _Kyrta turned her head away from the joyful look on Aaku's face. "Is Xuan there…?" _

_Aaku sighed. "I don't know… No one said Xuan could control over his element or not." _

_Kyrta looked painful, but changed to looking stoned again. "…Something in my heart said Xuan would not be announced to be a part of our elemental group. He is not one of us… Dragon or Tiger. He is no longer among us." _

_Aaku looked horror at what Kyrta had said to her. "You cannot lie! You love him, right?" And what about Yuiku? _

"_I do not love him…" Kyrta said softly, knowing a little blush across her nose. "If I do, I will deny him. If you do not believe Xuan's no longer among us… You'll found out tomorrow after Xuan's gone." _

"_NO!" Aaku said determined, staring at her. "It didn't matter if he's no longer among us… he is still and always is one of us. Xuan will control over his element…someday… I know it."_

_The earth youngling sighed. "Please don't go, Kyrta… We will miss you… even Yuiku." _

"_I'm sorry… I must go to find something beyond of my search… Something that will answer to my question." The icy replay from the young woman. "There's something beyond my knowledge… Something I must discover to see what it is." _

"_If you did find it, will you return to us?" _

_Kyrta looked over to Aaku, silently thought about what the young woman had said to her. "Perhaps...just perhaps…" _

_She had last seen Kyrta disappeared through the white mist and next day, Kyrta hadn't return and so is Xuan. _

"_What! What do you mean? Xuan left!" Aaku said in shock as she whirled around and gaping at Jiro. "Why?" _

_Jiro sighed sadly, "I overheard… with Kyrta… that Xuan is no longer among us any more…" She looked around and sighed once more. "Xiao Lin dismissed him away and told him that he's too dangerous to be part of us… If he's a Tiger, he will be lot more dangerous to the world especially with his tainted power." _

"…_Tainted power…?" _

"_That I do not know why or how…" Jiro shrugged her shoulder looking hopelessly, shaking her head. "Darkness is the opposite of the Light… perhaps something more dark than our ordinary elemental powers. I think it is the true power of Leviathan." _

"_But he's not Leviathan! He's just…human… There's no way he'll abused his own element!" Aaku disagreed. _

_Jiro held up her old scroll, averted her eyes away from Aaku's pleading look in the eyes. "Maybe he can't. But his soul and heart can be corrupted with the feeling of negative emotions." _

_Aaku covered her face, wishing she could join with Kyrta and vanished like the face off the earth. "Xuan… How's Shinyu?" _

"_Pissed off like hell." Jiro said dryly, rolling her hazel eyes in displeased. "He nearly cast some bolt on some poor victims with his angst."_

_Shinyu… _

**_Flashback end_**

Suddenly, she heard the roaring water clashed against the snarling fire into the sizzling mist over the sky. Whirling around to see the sizzling mist, Aaku knew Yuiku was fighting Roi for sake of the lives of people.

_Yuiku… _

She knew he could not return after the battle against Roi.

"Aaku! You're alright!" She turned her head back to see the man rode on the horse bird… _Wait, horse bird? _

"KAAA-KAAA!" The familiar cry of the horse bird when it sees her and smell her. Aaku jerked her head up in surprise and recognize the cry of the horse bird. "Shinwa…?"

The horse bird chirped happily that his old mistress recognized him, scratching his talons into the ground and nodded his bird-like head.

"That means…" Aaku glanced slowly to the man in the armor samurai, recognizing him now. "Teiku...?"

Teiku had no longer a boy, but a man with long reddish hair in bird-style. He grinned some familiar childish parts still not left inside him. "Aaku-chan! You…you grown big, than I thought." He said in deeper tone, glancing down and up at her. "It's nice to see you again! It had been… wait… 16? 17?" He scratched behind his head in confusion, tugging the leash on the horse bird.

"Teiku…" Aaku said softly, looking away while little blush across her cheeks. "What are you doing here? You're suppose to be in Temple of East…"

"Temple of East is now destroyed with something crazy blood-thirsty lizard beast." Teiku answered with a shrug. "I have no place to go except Zhai had offered me a chance to be part of his clan."

"Zhai…? Who is he?" Aaku asked curiously, frowning as Teiku offered her to join with him on the horse bird.

"Well…" Teiku trailed off, scratching his head again. "Zhai is the leader of the samurai clan. I heard he had twin brother who looked a lot like him… his brother disappeared for some unknown reason. Also as for Seiichi, the rumor is that he was challenged by a beast-looking person and when he lost he transformed into a cat."

"Wait, wait, wait! Back up, what you mean he's transformed into a cat? How?" Aaku said in half surprise and half confused.

Teiku shrugged helplessly, shaking his head. "That I do not know. Something like a showdown had something done to Seiichi when he lost against his opposite."

"Did you get the glimpse of the beast-looking person?" Aaku asked after few hours of silence between them.

Teiku jerked in surprise and glanced over his shoulder to her. "Yeah, and ugly one too. Pretty scary when he's angry… I think he's looking somehow familiar… Maybe he remind me of Zhai when he's in human form…"

"Can you tell me where Zhai guy is? He could help us fighting against the demons." Aaku said looking over the group of Heylin Tigers that appeared using their own elemental powers against another demons. _Wait where's Yanji?_

Teiku hesitated. "…He's gone…He went after his brother and hadn't return back ever since."

"Aaku!"

The earth warrior turned her head to the call of her name. "Master Seth!" She cried out in happiness and relief, seeing the old master wasn't injured.

Feeling the man's muscle stiffened in surprise at the sight of the old master, Aaku knew he hadn't been eye to eye with Master Seth ever since he found out Master Seth decided to take Aaku to another temple from her hometown.

Master Seth's ancient eyes glanced from Aaku to Teiku, something stirred in his eyes when he recognized him. "Ah, you're now a samurai I see… Young Teiku."

"And I see you're still not fall over and die… old man." Teiku said in hard tone, narrowing his eyes at him.

"Teiku!" Aaku scolded in surprise. Since when Teiku decided to disrespected their Temple of East master?

Master Seth hadn't flinched at Teiku's tone and instead he glanced back to Aaku. "Where's the student of mine?" He asked kindly, hiding his hands into his sleeves and his eyes landed on her.

Aaku blinked and then she sighed. "Yuiku is fighting the lava Demon."

Teiku stiffened again.

_Yuiku again! _He thought silently, feeling jealously. As the old master nodded in understanding, he left them to inform the few Heylin Tiger warriors.

"Who is Yuiku, anyway?" Teiku said trying to hide the jealous in his tone as he looked over to Aaku.

The full Dragon of Wood blinked in surprise. _Is he sound like jealous? _

"…He's the student of Master Seth…and one of my closest friends from the Temple of West (now known as Temple of Xiaolin)." She replied with a confused glance at him.

"Do you love him?"

"Huh?" Aaku blinked twice and then she glanced back to Yuiku's direction and back to Teiku again. "Yeah, I love him…" She paused and then smiled at him. "As a friend, Teiku."

_Huh? _Teiku stared blankly at her, slowly recalling what she said in his mind. "…R-Really…?" He asked hopefully, his eyes lit up in happiness.

Aaku nodded her head happily, and then she opened her mouth to say something more, but she was interrupted by the steel demon roaring through the wave of fire and the beam of light.

"Toka! Roba!" Aaku yelled in surprise, running to the two nearly wounded warriors. "Where are Master Seth…and Tai Zu?"

When Toka opened his mouth as Roba beat him, answering to Aaku's question. "They're going to seal some demons in other area near Black Mountain. Probably they got Shinyu's and Xuan's whereabouts."

Aaku frowned as she slowly turned her head to the steel demon when Toka yelled out his fire-type wu. "Whip of Flame, Arrow Sparrow - Wudai Mars Fire!"

Toka whipped the wave of fire from the red vine whipping rope as the eight red flaming arrow sparrows came out of it, heading to the steel demon's chest and exploded when it make a connect to the demon's.

"ARRRRRRR!" The Steel Demon roared, his eyes closed tightly in pain and then he opened them as he glared angrily at Toka. "_Prepare to attack... Activated the Double Cannon Attack…_"

Teiku's eyes widened in horror at the two gigantic cannons and then he yelled at the elemental warriors. "GET DOWN!" He ducked down while the other warriors heard him and ducked too.

Lord Yuki narrowed his cold dull blue eyes, smiling down at them coldly. "_3…2…1…farewell!_" He replied monotone as his double cannons aimed down at the warriors and began to glowing yellow brightly.

When the beam turned into blue, Lord Yuki roared. "_Fire!" _As he fired the double blue beams onto the ground where the 3 elemental warriors and Teiku, collapsing it down to the ground with gray cloud dusts anywhere.

Teiku coughed violently, squinting through his eyelids to see Aaku coughed in front of him. "Aaku? Are you alright?"

"Fine…coughs" The earth warrior turned to and shout something to her right side. And then she paused until the familiar reply back to her. "Thank goodness… They're all in one piece…"

Teiku turned back to the steel demon with a worried frown. "What do we do if he's too strong for us to defeat?"

Aaku shrugged, shaking her head helplessly. "I don't know."

"Wait…" Roba said softly as she stumped to Aaku's right side, holding her arm. "Yuki is a elemental demon of steel. Fire could melt it if it is too hot. Same goes for Shinyu's lightning."

"Heh. It could fry that thing." Toka chuckled weakly, imagining the lightning strike at the steel demon and shocked him to death.

Teiku snorted as he, too, pictured it in his mind. "Which one's strong wu?"

Toka shook his head and blinked at him. "Well…" He pulled out the beautiful red flute with the end of a firebird's head. "Phoenix Flute. This one is too way strong to control."

Roba nodded in agreement. "As for Culver Crystal." She showed Teiku a beautiful white pale dove with cerulean eyes. "Unlike Denshi Bunny, it causes a great paralyzing our enemy. Even one more thing, it blinded our enemy too."

"And mine's Armor of Genbu." Aaku said as soon as the words left her, the green armor appeared on her clothes, covering her skin except it leaves her face opened. She looked almost the same as Medieval Era Earth Knight.

"It may not strong. But this armor is as powerful as Longhorn Taurus and Fist of Tebigong merged as one wu." Aaku explained with a grin. "Hey… I got a plan…" She beckoned her team to her, including Teiku.

Teiku slowly smiled. _Yep, that's good ol' Aaku…_

----

Yuki, the steel demon, waited for someone to comes out of the hole so he could blast that filthy humans to the outer space. _Must… Eliminate… Humans! _He thought with a deep and heavy growl.

"Hey you!"

Yuki turned his metal head to the young boy dancing wildly while waving his arms crazily at him.

"Yes, you stupid metal ass!" The boy shouted with a soft laughter. Yuki growled angrily, turned around and stomped heavily to the boy.

Mysteriously smirking at the steel demon, Teiku turned his head and yelled. "NOW!"

The girl in white robe jumped out of the hole, holding the white dove as she yelled out. "Culver Crystal - Shoku Diamond Light!"

The white dove glowered in white; it brightened at the steel demon as Yuki cowered away from the light while it stung his eyes. "ARRRRRRR!" Yuki cried out in anger, shaking his head blindly.

When the steel demon tried to move, but he realized he can't move! _What… Damn that little brat!_

"_Must Eliminate You, Humans! Fire!_"He roared loudly, as the ground shook at the sound of roar.

"You want fire? Here it is!" Another boy yelled out, playing the red flute as the yellow phoenix came out of the end of the red flute. "Phoenix Flute - Shoku Sun Fire!"

The yellow phoenix turned into bright red, screeching loudly as it flew to the steel demon and covered him.

Yuki roared in pain, feeling under his steel armor melted onto his skin. Turning his head to Aaku, he narrowed his eyes angrily. He had no choice but to kill, no matter if he has to go down, a human must go down with him as well!

"_Steel Cannon Claws!" _He roared as his steel-like claws swiped down at her.

"Armor of Genbu – Shoku Quake Earth!" Aaku roared as she leaped into the air and then she flew down to the ground with her armor fist. When her armor fist slammed onto the ground, the ground shook and then split into two as in between the steel demon and Aaku.

But too late for Aaku to get away from the shattering ground, she fell in. Teiku ran to her, yelling out to her. "Aaku! Grab my hand!" He stretched his hand far to her.

"Teiku…" Aaku said in surprise as she reached out to him and their hands clashed each other while she was hanging against the earth wall. "Ugh… Teiku…" She looked up and saw Teiku holding her hand tightly, trying to move backward.

"Hnnn! Hang on… I'm pulling you up." Teiku growled with a huff.

As he finally pulled her out of the deep crater and both panting heavy as he grinned at her. "Boy. We won… We beat that steel ass bastard…"

Aaku let out a shaky laugh. "Yeah…"

Suddenly, a bad feeling tore through her mind as her blue eyes widened in horror when the deep growling voice from the deep crater.

"_Silver Bullet Cannon!" _

A glowing bullet in a deep yellow soared through the air and headed toward Teiku. Looking in horror at him, Aaku struggled to get up and ran toward him. In slow motion, she leaped slowly at him. "Teik_uuuuu!" _

Slowly, he turned his head and saw the bullet head right toward him, as his eyes grew bigger in half horror and half surprise.

Gasping in surprise, Roba covered her mouth as she cried out. "Watch out!" As quickly reacting to it, Toka tore out of the way toward between Teiku and the bullet.

In normal motion, the off screen was splashed with crimson with a cry out in pain. Someone clutching his chest as he fell to the ground with pool of blood while the bullet tore through the flesh.

Teiku and Aaku froze at the sight of the wounded warrior falling to the ground in front of them.

_What the…?_ Teiku thought with a daze, staring in surprise at Toka.

Aaku gaped at Toka before she snapped out of her trance as she ran to him. "Toka! You idiot--! Why!"

Roba's eyes widened in surprise at him as her tears rolling down quickly, "Toka…!"

Opening his dark blue eyes tiredly at the girls, the fire warrior smirked. "What? I can't let you girls get hurt… If I let one of you get hurt, I'll get lecturing out of that bastard Shinyu…" With a weak chuckled and then a loud groan when he felt a pain wrecked in his body.

Paused at for a moment, he glanced over at the deep crater. "Aaku…? Do me a favor and seal that thing inside right now."

Aaku nodded at him, she plummeted her fist onto the ground as the crater sealed up and returned to the flat ground again. "Don't go… Toka…" She said trailed off as she shuddered at the thought of Toka dying in the battle.

She lost Zalo and Xiao Lin… She doesn't want to lose another friend like Toka again. "Toka…Hang on, we'll see Shinyu soon. Together."

The fire warrior chuckled and then coughed while he covered his mouth with his fist. "Ah. I'll be fine. There's no way for a ol' flame like me to go away." He laughed.

Smiling at him, Aaku nodded in understood. "Roba…" She glanced over to the white girl. "Take him to the healer, please?"

Roba nodded.

Teiku stepped forward, holding Shinwa the horse bird. "Here, Shinwa will guild you two to where you want to go." He stated as he handled the leash to Roba.

Roba smiled at him with a silent thank as she took the leash and carried the wounded fire warrior over Shinwa's back. Riding the horse bird, she headed over the hidden camp area leaving Teiku and Aaku alone.

"Aaku…" Teiku began, glancing over to her.

Aaku turned her head away from the direction of dust clouds where the Shinwa and the others left. "Hm?" She blinked at Teiku with a curious look, willing to listen what he had to say.

"When…this war is over…" Teiku said softly, looking away with a soft blush.

Her eyes widened at realization of what Teiku had about to say. _I got a feeling he's about to tell… _

Teiku took a deep breath and looked back to her again. "When this war is over…" He looked right into her eyes. "Will you… marry me?"

Aaku let out a sob out of joy as she glomped him with a hug, nuzzling her face into his chest. "Yes…"

…

…

…

**End of the Chapter 12**

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Me: (sigh in relief) Finally… there's 12th chapter finished now. (grin) Now please review after this. Thank you! 


	14. The Temple of Dragons Part I

Me: Well, Disclaimer: I do not own Xiaolin Showdown and its characters… I only own my muses and my own wu(s).

Ciara: (looking down at the script) Well, it's time for Yuiku and Kyrta's past in the 13th and 14th chapter! (looked up at me) Who's Kyrta?

Me: (grin) Kyrta's a Tiger of Ice. Deviant Art .com you'll see what she's look like with other girls. (nod) Let's get the story began! Enjoy! (clapped twice)

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**Chapter 13 – The Temple of Dragons (Part I)**

…

…

…

- -Yuiku's Past - -

"EARTH!"

The enormous rock hurled itself against the demon of lava, earning a cry of pain from the demon of lava. The woman in the green kimono while she had a dark green headband around her forehead as she stood from the hill of spiking rocks. "Who are you, anyway?" She asked coldly, glaring at her.

The demon raised her head and her ruby eyes glaring at the earth warrior. "I'm Roi, the Demon of Lava and the lady of fire. I should have kill you when you were a child… earth weakling!" She snapped angrily, raising the wall of lava to dangerously high.

The morning was cold and cruel. Dawn had crept into the seared and blackened battleground, the fine streams of wavering sunlight sending wisps of vapor into the sky to mingle with the tendrils of smoke that still reached into the air like the rippling arms of wraiths.

She walked among the ashes and felt the still-warm earth heat the soles of her boots. Everywhere splashes of red peeked from beneath boulders and piles of uprooted earth. Sometimes, it was the pieces of corpses had simply been trapped. Other times, it was the blood of one who had been less fortunate.

She doesn't know where that idiot troublemaker Shinyu… and the annoying black dragon are. Praying that they would be okay as long as they better to be come back so she could knocked some sense back into their so called brain, the Full Dragon of Earth grumbled angrily as she walked across the blackened battleground until she ran into the demon of lava.

Moving backward away from the sight of enormous lava wall, she was too close to defend herself against the hot fire. _NO! NO! No! Damn, it's too close I can't defend myself without burning myself. _

"WATER!"

She saw something move in the corner of her eye and turned to see the familiar blue uniform of a water dragon as he twisted and landed himself along the ground and toward the demon of lava. His right arm moved upward in graceful like a dragon while his left arm was bleeding at his side and he bled from several cuts on his shoulders. From the way he exhausted heavy, he'd undoubtedly broken one or two of his ribs, yet he still had the determination to try and fight.

She smiled as the trait reminded her of a handsome young boy she knew. "Yuiku!" She yelled happily to him as the demon of lava hissed hateful at the water Roi don't like. Roi can handle the demon of ocean, but not the dragon of water.

"Aaku… Are you injured?" Yuiku asked quietly to Aaku while staring coldly at Roi. Aaku shook her head in negative, assuming him that she was fine. "But you're bleeding!" She whispered looking over to his wounds.

"It is nothing pained me more than seeing the death of my people." He said looking pained, not from his wounds but from mourning over the monks he knew of was killed by the demons.

The demon of lava growled, not happy with being ignored by the children. "Silence, you ignorance pests!"

Aaku scowled darkly at the demon of lava. "Who are you callin' us pests, you flamin' bitch!" She yelled shaking her fist angrily at Roi and stepped forward but Yuiku stopped her with his arm. "Yuiku?"

"Let me fight her, my good friend…" Yuiku said quietly, narrowing his grayish blue eyes at the lava demon. "While you'll go aid with others. Some need your power of Earth only you can do against the Steel Demon."

"But Yuiku…"

"But nothing! Now leave!"

Aaku wisely shut up and scattered leaving Yuiku and the monstrous Roi, knowing the water always victory over the fire. _Yuiku… Be safe, you idiot… _

Meanwhile as Aaku left, Yuiku in his higher level uniform glaring at the steaming angry female demon.

"You do seem you get vapor down over the water." Yuiku said with a smirk.

Annoying at the warrior of water's lousy slang, Roi snapped angrily at him. "Don't you mean _you get** steamed** **up** over_ the water!"

Yuiku blinked at this and then he grinned at her. "Oh, that too. Thank you – WUDI NEPTURE WATER!" With a polite bowed to her, he merciless attacked with his element at her.

The lava demon snarled seeing the swirling water attacking her, while her claws wavered in the air as the wall of lava fired up protecting her from the attack.

"Don't get so bent out of shape, boy."

Yuiku narrowed his bluish-gray eyes, silently rolling his hands into fists in quiet anger. "What in the seven hells you mean by _bent out of shape_!"

He felt he would blame on Shinyu, Zalo, and Toka for influencing his unpleasant behavior on him for swearing in front of a lady. Ah, oh well…what comes in circles goes the other way in circles.

A mysterious smile masked his face; he remembered the one who taught him about the outside of the world…and the one who opened his eyes to the world…

Before the Dark War began… 16 years ago…

A young bald monk ran panicking through every doors of the temple. He had first meet the father of two sons – what a two strange brothers he had seen in his life aside Xiao Lin, Dashi, and Kisara.

Hiding behind the pillar, he peeped over his left and see nothing in the room. He sighed in relief. "Good… I do not like to look forward to being end up a victim of his pranks."

"Really? What a bugger." A male's voice replied behind him, startling him as he whirled quickly around and pressed his back against the pillar, staring fearful at his grinning prankster. "I'm actually looking forward to see you freaked out of your skin, Yuiku."

"Hey! I'm not jumped out of my body yet!" The prey known as Yuiku snapped, waving his arms wildly while his face turning in bright red out of anger. "Stop pushing my arms, Shinyu!"

"Actually… that's pulling your legs you mean." The prankster known as Shinyu let out a laugh while he patted poor freaked out friend. Then he paused for a minute and he grinned again. "And you mean you haven't jumped (you did) out of your _skin_, not_ body_." He said amused.

"Master Tai Zu will not approve of your behavior!" Yuiku said hotly, crossing his arms and pouted.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Shinyu laughed, his hand wavered Yuiku's words away with a smile. "I just want you to have fun… you know."

The soon to be warrior of water blinked in half surprise and half confused at the troublemaker. _I do not understand you… _

He remembered how he had first meet Shinyu and Xuan… Three years ago…

Young Yuiku blinked hearing a odd noise came from the roof and he glanced up at the nine-year-old brunette haired boy grinned playful at himself, holding an azure blue water bag with his careful hands.

Yuiku blinked.

"What are you doing with this water-bag, Shinyu?" His ten-year-old older brother asked staring seriously at the back of his little brother's head, crossing his arms across his chest in annoyance.

"Oh nothing, Xuan… I was looking for something…" Shinyu whispered innocently, his playful eyes searching down at the dojo field. Xuan narrowed his icy amethyst eyes in annoyance at him and sighed in defeat. "Fine. Don't run to me if you're get yourself in trouble again."

Shinyu shot a sheepish looking glance at his brother's way and returned to his searching for a target. Suddenly, his eyes lit up happily and he grinned wolfishly. "Bingo!"

A small rouge quickly dropped a bag and ducked as an angry yelling from the below. A seven years old child Yuiku in a monk robe turned his head at the sound of his master's friend yelling from the dojo and saw the snickering child rushed out of the temple with his brother.

"Cursed that brat!"

He blinked in surprise to see a streaming warrior with his soaked robe and realized it's only Tai Zu. He sweatdropped at the sight of him and quickly bowed at him as he replied respectfully, "Greeting, Tai-zhu."

Tai Zu grumbled under his breath as he stalked angrily into Xiao's dojo, cursing the little rouge's name.

Suddenly, a familiar voice startled poor little monk. "As usual, my little brother has found a new target for his prank."

He turned his head back to the silent child with icy purple eyes. "Xuan."

Xuan nodded in acknowledged Yuiku. "Be heeding of his useless pranks. You'll be his target next time."

"Don't be so cruel on him, Amethyst." A little girl's voice replied with full of cheerful as Xuan rolled his eyes and looked up at the blue haired girl in the mistress robe sitting on the sakura branch.

"I'm not some jewel you're comparing to, Kytra." He glared upward at her, being annoyed at her nickname for him.

Yuiku's innocent silver-gray eyes grew bigger and bigger at her, hanging his jaw closer to the ground. It's the first time he had ever meet a girl in the temple and never seen what a girl look like. Especially in the beautiful sight of her with the falling sakura petals had been stunned him.

The blue haired girl leapt from the branch and landed on the ground in the front of the two boys. The tomboy girl finally noticed Yuiku stood gawking at her beside Xuan and smiled at him. "Oh hello there! I'm Kytra Yamachi." She chirped with a beaming grin at Xuan who rolled his eyes. "What's yours?"

"Y-Y-Y-Y…" The small monk blushed and stuttering wildly, not expecting the girl asked for his name…especially in awkward moment either. He gulped whole air in and breathed out. "Yuiku, the first student of Master Tai Zu and soon to be the Master of this Temple."

Shinyu in the bush behind Xuan and Kytra snickering quietly at poor monk's embarrassing rush words as he kept covering his mouth from being give-away, smiling evilly.

To the boys' surprise, Kytra reached for Yuiku and hugged him tightly, giggling to herself. "You're so cute! Almost as much as my kitty." She grinned at the monk who blushing furiously against her chest and then she finally let him go.

"…" Yuiku blinked and then blushed again. "Can I ask you a question?"

Kytra blinked at him and then she smiled, nodding at him. "Go on."

"…" The small monk stuck out his arms toward her and smiling shyly at her, "…Can I… have your… girl hug… again please?"

A silence hanging over in the air as Kytra and Xuan stared at him like as if the monk has another head on his shoulder. And then suddenly, poor Shinyu howling in laughter, rolling over on the ground while he pointed at Yuiku with his remark comment about him was being pervert or a blushing machine.

Yuiku was whole red blushing across his cheeks furiously, staring confusedly at the rolling small rogue.

Kytra was startled by Shinyu's laughter and glared down at him, being annoyed at him. "I can't believe you!" She growled quietly at the laughing rouge.

Xuan sighed his hand covering his eyes and groaned silently, "This is the worst day I ever have…" He muttered darkly to himself watching at his younger brother teased poor little monk.

Yuiku smiled at the three friends and then blinked in surprise as the lone sakura petal landed on his nose. He picked it off and then he studied it quietly, slowly looking up at the beautiful sakura tree.

Sakura… A good charm for a love, compassion, and a friendship…

Yuiku smiled.

Six years later…

His innocent-like gray bluish eyes blinked, he glanced over at the loner after couple of silence while he was trying to understand what Xuan had said. "You're leaving?" He said softly, nearly choked on his words.

The silent loner tilted his head upward at the sky and then at the thirteen years old monk, Yuiku. "Yes. I decided to leaving…right now."

"Right after…that day…" Yuiku trailed off not wanting to offended Xuan but a soft, gently chuckling startled him. "Huh?"

"You thought I would snap at you like Shinyu did last time?" Xuan said with a short glance at Yuiku and then he continued. "That day… Dad died from the last battle, too many scars he carried…"

He glanced up at the sakura tree he was feeling relax more than before, a smile appeared on his face. "Dad once said there's no use to mourning over loss of life in battle… We need keep fighting and holding our hope up. I thought it's pointless to keeping hope up. But…"

Yuiku urged him on. "But…?"

With a smile, Xuan turned to him. "You'll know when you're in a endless battle." He left with his young brother, walking toward the direction of sunset until they disappeared out of Yuiku's sight.

Xuan…

While a year had passed away…the spring turned into summer…the summer turned into the autumn…

Yuiku let out a sigh, boringly watching the colorful leaves falling outside of his window as he rested his head against his arms. _So boring… _

He wished for anything in the world could distract him away from boring to death. Unfortunately, his wish suddenly was granted by a chill-shrieking scream of a woman snapped him out of his bored trance.

"Huh?" He looked over at the direction of scream and then he ran out of the house to follow the noise. Until he could heard the loud voices…

"ARGGGGG! YOU PREVERT!"

**SLAP! **

"OUWCH!"

**THUMK! **

"HUMPT!"

Yuiku blinked in surprise to seeing Kytra glared maliciously at the werewolf landed his back awkwardly on the floor, as he could see a red mark of hand impacted on the werewolf's face while he was grinning like an idiot.

"You are really an idiot, mutt." Yuiku heard the harsh, yet sarcastically voice directed at the werewolf as he glanced up to see the dark purple-blackish haired man stood crossing his arms and looking disgusted yet amused at the werewolf. "Can't you stay for a friggin' minute without chasing around wenches again?"

"Ah, but it was worth it!" The lecherous werewolf replied back with a grin, rubbing his cheek almost affectingly.

Sweatdropped at the werewolf, Yuiku thought that person was really a lecherous idiot…whoever he was…

"Yuiku…?"

Yuiku turned his head at hearing his name and blinked in surprise at the familiar person who called his name. "…Shinyu…?" He said almost in shock at how TALL his friend was after four years. "It is really you?"

Shinyu grinned cheekily at Yuiku, rubbing the back of his neck in sheepishly at him. "Yea. Sorry about Yanji's action. He's just…well… lecher."

"PTIFFFF! Pedsora, sometimes I don't understand you. Why we have to let the mutt like him come along on a trip?" The same dark purple-blackish haired man Yuiku saw a few moments ago scoffed, glaring at Shinyu.

Rolling his green eyes at him, Shinyu turned around and grinned at him. "Zalo. His werewolf skill is really useful aside being a lecher you know. So chill out and enjoy life!" The prankster glanced back at Xuan that Yuiku didn't realize he was there too. "Right, bro?"

Xuan sighed silently, not answering to his brother's question as he turned to Kytra. "Kytra." He nodded acknowledging her.

Kytra grinned already forgetting about Yanji and his lecherous behavior. "Xuan." She replied back with a nod and then she glanced at Shinyu. "Shinyu. You're the same as usual."

Shinyu pouted. "Hey, I have changed!"

Kytra rolled her eyes. "Suuuure…"

Yuiku watched them with a relieved smile while shaking his head. Some things never changed after many years…

Nearly 4 years later…after Xiao Lin's death and Liz Gon's missing…

Yuiku was deeply hurt by Kytra's sudden absent after Xuan's left, he don't understand why she leaving the temple. After all they had become together as a couple. He had summoned some courage to ask her out and she accepts without a question.

"_Kytra…" He said softly, sitting on the bed looking at the sakura tree through his window while the girl lying under the sheet, staring blankly at the floor. "What's wrong? You seem upset after Xuan left." _

"…"

"_Kytra?" _

_Kytra let a sigh escaped from her lips as she turned to him, wrapping her arms around his waist and lend her head against his chest. "Remember the first he got a element… a dark one." _

_Startled at her soft words, Yuiku nodded remembering the day Xuan had lose the will of controlling the dark element and nearly injured Kisara. "Yeah…I remembered." _

"_Xuan told me right before Xiao Lin casts him out, he admit that his dangerous element could have place his brother and his friends in danger…" Kytra said softly, almost muffed by her love's chest. "Jiro told me she'd go find him…" _

_Yuiku jerked in muted surprise, slowly wrapping his arms around her. "So you'll go after Xuan before Jiro could…? What about…" He trailed off, looking sad. _

"…_I know… Go sleep." _

"…_Okay…" _

"_Good night…" _

"_Good night…Kytra…" _

_On the next morning he woke up to find the love of his life was gone… leaving no notes or the clues of where she was leaving. Letting out a tired sigh as he turned to the closet and changed his sleeping robe to his usual uniform, Yuiku stepped his foot out of his hut and headed temple for picking up a new dragon uniform. His life as Dragon of Water was began now._

That day after Jiro disappeared suddenly and then next day after the bond between the Dragons and the Tigers were shattered into pieces. At same time, they went against each other except for Kisara and Shinyu who had fall in love.

Yuiku sighed tiredly, he did not understand why he was mad at his own best friend… when he saw Shinyu, and something inside him grew hatred at the sight of a Heylin tiger. Thanks to Kisara and Shinyu who set him and other friends free of the hatred and jealous had opened his eyes to the view of the world.

Ariko…

How much he had hate the name of a spawning demon possessed in Xuan's body and hate him for causing so much suffering upon him and his friends.

"Shinyu…"

"Huh?" Shinyu turned around and blinked confusedly at Yuiku who remain silent called his name. "Yea?"

Yuiku glanced up at him and then he sighed. "Do you know what is a Wushan Geyster and the Void of Staff?" Seeing the rebel shook his head, Yuiku continued. "They are also a Sheng-gong-wu… the one that erased our memories of our "opposites" and erasing our feelings for them too."

Silently, Shinyu seem slowly repeating what Yuiku told him in his mind and changed from confusion to anger. "So you're saying… Ariko is the one who killed Xiao Lin and had the power to separate us from each other…and paired us against another…?"

Yuiku nodded.

Shinyu let out a curse loudly, his shaking fists at his side as he narrowed his green eyes at the Black Mountain. "Damn him! Damnit!"

"Shinyu…"

Shinyu turned his head away from the black mountain and smiled at Yuiku. "I'm going to see my other companions… and take Kisara away when it become… serious." He turned and walking on the path in the forest.

"Very well…Shinyu…" Yuiku paused, calling out his name as the rebel stopped his track and turned his head back to the water warrior. "Thank you…"

Shinyu grinned at him and flashed him a victory sign. "No problemo!"

Yuiku let out a laugh at this. Typical Shinyu… No matter which sides Shinyu was on… he's always the same as usual…

Back to the Dark War…

"UGGGGGH!" The Xiaolin Dragon of Water grunted as he was hurled right across the burning hot land as the spikes scratched badly his back, tearing his royal blue uniform and his wounds bleeding like crazy. "Damn…" He gritted his teeth painfully, struggling to get up using his arms against the brown-red ground.

"What a weak… Everyone knows the fire always won against the water." Roi hissed smiling cruelly at him as she walked graceful through the boiling ground toward the wounded dragon of water. "No use to defeat the fire. Always in the hopelessly cycle."

The half burned monk spat out his blood, smiling stubbornly at her. "Oh? I thought the water always win."

Roi growled furiously at the monk. "Very well! I'll show you the pain you'll feel you never been so alive!"

"Carry it on!" Yuiku taunted.

"LAVA'S BLADE!"

"WUDAI NEPTURE, KAIJI CHARM, SHIMO STAFF – ICE WATER!"

As the opposite attacks clashed each other, the flash of light blinded all over the land between the water and the fire. Until then when it returned to normal, the demon let out a painful cry of pain as she stepped backward away from the dragon of water, looking down where the ice-like blade impaled through her chest.

"What have you done… you…!" Roi cried as she looked up at the human she had suddenly become afraid of him. "You…!" Her red furry cat-like ears pinned back in either fear or anger, she bared her fangs at the wounded dragon.

Yuiku smirked weakly, covering his heavy bleeding wound where the burning blade had goes through his chest. "…Farewell you spiteful demon…"

Roi let out a final chill-shrieking scream as the ice spread all over her flesh and shattered into pieces of ice.

The short monk sighed tiredly, letting his ached body hit the ground with a soft thump. "Never thought that fire type could be forever to fight with…aside Toka…" With a weak chuckle and then a cough, he looked up at the night stars.

"YUIKU!"

Yuiku blinked in surprise and turned his head looking over the ground to see the familiar woman running toward him while she had a strange-looking cloth in her arms. He could see the short blue haired swaying freely behind her and until he looked at her familiar icy blue eyes… Wait a second…

"Kytra…?" He whispered her name in half disbelief and half happiness as he watched her kneed beside his body and checking over his wounds. "You're coming back…?"

"Yes. I'm back." Kytra managed a smile but failing, she was weeping for his dying life. She knew she was losing him…She was too late to stop this…

"Yuiku… You have a daughter…"

"A…a...daughter…?" Yuiku's eyes widened in surprise at her. "I have a daughter…?"

Kytra smiled sadly, letting the white cloth slide a bit so Yuiku could see. A beautiful little daughter sleeping against her chest and arms, snoring softly as Yuiku smiled shaky.

"She's beautiful…" He whispered softly, wincing at the pain in his chest. _At least I could die with happiness… _

"Yuiku…" Kytra whimpered, her soft hand clang on his pale, shaking hand. "Don't leave me…"

Yuiku sighed weakly, barely holding on his life and want to saying good bye to her and his beautiful young daughter before he left. "Kytra… Please don't mourning over me… forget me you'll continue on…for our daughter's sake…" With one final smile at her, he kissed her on the lip and whispered to her ear. "I love you…"

He was gone.

…

…

…

**End of the Chapter 13**

* * *

Me: (grin) Part I is finished, meaning the Part II is coming up soon next week. Now please review after this. Thank you! 


	15. The Temple of Dragons Part II

Me: Well, Disclaimer: I do not own Xiaolin Showdown and its characters… I only own my muses and my own wu(s). Oh, to let you know a new wu you never seen before… (creepy theme playing in effect) Chaos of Orb! Its true power will be revealed in Chapter 29. (grin)

Lobo: (starts to drooling at the art picture of Kyrta) Wow, she's beautiful…

His fangirls: Amen! (glares at him evilly)

Lobo: (sweatdropped) Heheheh…

Me: (grin) Kyrta's a Tiger of Ice, but not "completed" yet because she still had her power of ice but she's not much of experience with fighting like Dashi, Shinyu, Zalo, and the others did. (clapped loudly) Okay! Let's get everyone ready and read this chapter! Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 14 – The Temple of Dragons (Part II)**

…

…

…

- -Kyrta's Past - -

She saw him.

The one she was looking for during the raging battlefield, hoping against the hope she would see him alive and proud…

_Just like last time she met him…_

She saw him. Instead of being alive and proud, he was badly wounded after killing the fire demon and fell on the ground motionlessly. She let out a cry as she ran to him.

"YUIKU!"

Yuiku blinked in surprise and turned his head looking over the ground to see the familiar woman running toward him while she had a strange-looking cloth in her arms. He could see the short blue haired swaying freely behind her and until he looked at her familiar icy blue eyes… Wait a second…

"Kyrta…?" He whispered her name in half disbelief and half happiness as he watched her kneed beside his body and checking over his wounds. "You're coming back…?"

"Yes. I'm back." Kyrta managed a smile but failing, she was weeping for his dying life. She knew she was losing him…She was too late to stop this…

"Yuiku… You have a daughter…"

"A…a...daughter…?" Yuiku's eyes widened in surprise at her. "I have a daughter…?"

Kyrta smiled sadly, letting the white cloth slide a bit so Yuiku could see. A beautiful little daughter sleeping against her chest and arms, snoring softly as Yuiku smiled shaky.

"She's beautiful…" He whispered softly, wincing at the pain in his chest. _At least I could die with happiness… _

"Yuiku…" Kyrta whimpered, her soft hand clang on his pale, shaking hand. "Don't leave me…"

Yuiku sighed weakly, barely holding on his life and want to saying good bye to her and his beautiful young daughter before he left. "Kyrta … Please don't mourning over me… forget me you'll continue on…for our daughter's sake…" With one final smile at her, he kissed her on the lip and whispered to her ear. "I love you…"

He was gone.

Kyrta wept on the cold body, still holding her precious baby in her arm while her other arm holding her yet to be husband. "…Yuiku…" She whispered his name softly to the silent wind while it swept through her blue hair.

The day she had first meet the Pedsora brothers and then she meet Yuiku…

----

16 years ago…

"_If we met and we love only to separate I'm sure we would meet again  
By fumbling deep in my memories I can find sweet shadows  
I can taste the sweetness of the past  
Although you are not anywhere  
I'll be okay, if I close my eyes you'll be there  
In unchanging love, I believe… _

When the spring light gathers it makes the flowers blossom  
In the summer I find the moon floating on the sea  
With the autumn wind and winter snow with a sight wish, I wish to be warm  
Four season with your love, once again

The promise that was only a wish fades away in time passage  
Can you feel me underneath the skin?  
If my feelings have accumulated so much  
We'll be okay if we believe in one another  
No matter how far apart we are, stay with me…

We go out and meet where the spring flower's sleep  
Leaving the message in the summer sandy beaches  
The autumn rain and winter tears with under crated love, I wish to be warm  
Four season with your love, within a dream

Time still flows within my heart truthfully  
our days together are quickly becoming memories  
with love and dreams becoming forgotten, whenever the day is, I wish to be warm  
four season with your love, within my heart

Four love, four season  
Four adventure, I'll be okay…  
Four love, four season  
Four era, stay with me…"

The child had finished the last song, "Four Seasons" since she always love to hear the song from her mother while she danced until she accidentally knocked the oblivious boy over, spilling some water from the water skin on the floor.

"Hey!" The boy shouted in surprise. "Watch where you're going, girl!"

Embarrassed at her careless action, she apologizes to him as she bended down to pick up the water skin. "Sorry about that. My name's Kyrta."

The boy snorted, narrowing his green eyes at her and then he crossed his arms across his chest. "Shinyu." He acknowledged himself to her. "What are you singing for?"

"…Four seasons…" Kyrta muttered, quickly looking down at the floor in the order to avoid his eyes. The song always reminds her of her village.

Shinyu quickly grinned, causing her blink in confusion at his sudden change of behavior. "I'm going to find my brother." And then when he muttered something she had to strain her ear to hear him.

"…I bet he's at teashop or something." He muttered under his breath.

_What kind of his brother if he is at the teashop? _Kyrta wondered silently, and then she aware of she was holding the water skin. "Oh sorry. Here." She quickly handed it to Shinyu as he nodded thankfully at her.

"What are you doing! Are you ogling at another girl again?" Suddenly, a darkly voice yelled at Shinyu, startling Kyrta as she stared blankly at the black legless lizard. "What? Is something on my face, you stupid female human?"

_Stupid? Female Human? Ooooh!_ Kyrta growled as she seized the creature's neck and shaking it hard. "Who are you calling me a stupid, you stupid lizard!" She yelled angrily at the black lizard that was in daze state.

Suddenly, a hand gripped her hand gently and a quiet voice spoke to her. "Relax. Gojo is a harmless creature. Please let him go without strangling him to death."

She blinked and then she glanced at the mystic purple eyes that belong to the dark brunette. Letting Gojo go, Kyrta relaxed.

"Xuan! Where are you?" Shinyu said in relief seeing his brother arrived safely, but also in disappointed seeing Gojo get away from being strangling to death by a girl.

"…" Xuan turned around and walked away without a word, surprising Kyrta and disappointing Shinyu.

"Where did you get that lizard from?" Kyrta asked suddenly remembering the black lizard as she glared hatefully at Gojo.

Gojo glared back at her, disliking the nickname from a girl…no less than Shinyu he was suppose to protect.

The light brunette blinked in surprise at her, and then smiled. "A week ago, a black egg falls on my head." With a wince, he rubbed his head absent-mindedly. "And that all we found in the goddamn egg is that useless, legless, idiot gecko."

"HEY!" Gojo protested.

Kyrta sweatdropped.

----

"You, there! Emerald!" She yelled after the trickster who froze on his track. "What are you doing here? I thought you're at training… wait, don't tell me you skip it again!"

Shinyu grumbled. "Don't blame me. Master Seth is evil! All evil, I tell you!" And then he paused. "Emerald?" He asked confusedly, blinking at her.

Kyrta grinned sly, "Nothing. Where's Amethyst?" Looking around for Shinyu's brother Xuan, she frowned.

"Sigh. Are you still calling me that ridiculous nickname for jewel?" Xuan said coolly as both of two jumped at his voice. And then he smirked. "If so, perhaps I should call you Sapphire for now."

Shinyu, who had been sitting near the entrance since daybreak, looked towards the other two in shocked. "Xuan has found a new sense of humor! Gods, have mercy on us! The world's coming to an end!"

Xuan frowned at his younger brother.

The young lady, Kyrta, didn't bother to stifle her laughter.

After hearing her laugh, Shinyu winced and turned away.

She stopped laughing. "What's his problem?" she muttered.

"You sound like his mother," Xuan replied looking away while Gojo cringes at his tone.

She looked back at him. "Huh?"

"When you laughed like that, you sounded just like his mother."

"And I'm guessing that something happened to her, right?" she asked in a sober tone. Xuan merely nodded.

She appeared to be in deep thought for a minute, but then she chuckled out of nowhere.

"What?" Gojo asked.

"Eh, it's nothing, really. It's just…" she paused. "My dad said the same thing about MY mom…" She got a faraway look in her eyes. "I never knew her, so I took Dad's word for it." She looked over at Shinyu.

Xuan nodded again.

"I'm going to the Sakura tree." Kyrta stated with a tired sigh. "Keep your idiot brother away from the trouble, Amethyst."

Xuan opened his mouth but he thought for a while, and he quickly shut his mouth and nodded.

Few hours later…

She sat on the branch under the beautiful sakura tree, hearing Tai Zu stomped across the garden. She blinked after him, and then she heard the familiar voice. _Xuan? _She looked down at the garden, spotting Xuan and a small monk she had seen earlier with Tai Zu and Master Seth.

Xuan nodded in acknowledged Yuiku. "Be heeding of his useless pranks. You'll be his target next time."

"Don't be so cruel on him, Amethyst." Kyrta replied with full of cheerful as Xuan rolled his eyes and looked up at the blue haired girl in the mistress robe sitting on the sakura branch.

"I'm not some jewel you're comparing to, Kyrta." He glared upward at her, being annoyed at her nickname for him.

Yuiku's innocent silver-gray eyes grew bigger and bigger at her, hanging his jaw closer to the ground. It's the first time he had ever meet a girl in the temple and never seen what a girl look like. Especially in the beautiful sight of her with the falling sakura petals had been stunned him.

The blue haired girl leapt from the branch and landed on the ground in the front of the two boys. The tomboy girl finally noticed Yuiku stood gawking at her beside Xuan and smiled at him. "Oh hello there! I'm Kyrta Yamachi." She chirped with a beaming grin at Xuan who rolled his eyes. "What's yours?"

"Y-Y-Y-Y…" The small monk blushed and stuttering wildly, not expecting the girl asked for his name…especially in awkward moment either. He gulped whole air in and breathed out. "Yuiku, the first student of Master Tai Zu and soon to be the Master of this Temple."

Shinyu in the bush behind Xuan and Kyrta snickering quietly at poor monk's embarrassing rush words as he kept covering his mouth from being give-away, smiling evilly.

To the boys' surprise, Kyrta reached for Yuiku and hugged him tightly, giggling to herself. "You're so cute! Almost as much as my kitty." She grinned at the monk who blushing furiously against her chest and then she finally let him go.

"…" Yuiku blinked and then blushed again. "Can I ask you a question?"

Kyrta blinked at him and then she smiled, nodding at him. "Go on."

"…" The small monk stuck out his arms toward her and smiling shyly at her, "…Can I… have your… girl hug… again please?"

A silence hanging over in the air as Kyrta and Xuan stared at him like as if the monk has another head on his shoulder. And then suddenly, poor Shinyu howling in laughter, rolling over on the ground while he pointed at Yuiku with his remark comment about him was being pervert or a blushing machine.

Yuiku was whole red blushing across his cheeks furiously, staring confusedly at the rolling small rogue.

Kyrta was startled by Shinyu's laughter and glared down at him, being annoyed at him. "I can't believe you!" She growled quietly at the laughing rouge.

Xuan sighed his hand covering his eyes and groaned silently, "This is the worst day I ever have…" He muttered darkly to himself watching at his younger brother teased poor little monk.

Yuiku smiled at the three friends and then blinked in surprise as the lone sakura petal landed on his nose. He picked it off and then he studied it quietly, slowly looking up at the beautiful sakura tree.

Surprised, Kyrta glazed up at the falling sakura petals in slow motion being swept in little breeze. "…Cherry blooming petals..." She said softly, smiling gently at the pinky petals floating in the wind.

----

Six years later…

A year had been passed since the Pedsora brothers left for somewhat adventure… What a strange brothers they are.

"_Go away for miles.  
And loose those fields behind.  
Wrapped around the lies.  
We stand for the voiceless.  
Want to live at last!  
Until we find the way!  
Searching for the light,  
for eternity... _

The passing,  
The changing,  
the moving around,  
Like the Color of those skies.  
Still remains the same,  
As we used to know.  
Every single day...  
Could we?  
Still have seen it if we were there?  
Could we still have seen it anywhere, later?

Go away for miles,  
and lose those fields behind.  
Wrapped around the lives.  
We stand for the voiceless  
Want to live at last!  
Until we find a way!  
Searching for the light,  
for eternity..."

Kyrta hummed her "Eternity" song as she tottered through the full crowds, looking for a shop she wants to buy. Suddenly, a white haired boy with long doggy ears and long tail bumped her.

A pause effect sound surround her and a stranger, while the crowd around them ignoring them.

_Wait a second_! A _doggy_ ears and a_ tail_! She was taken a double glance at him, blinking at the stranger.

"Oh, I apologize, milady!" The dog-eared boy apologized cheerily, I mean _too cheerily_ as he lend a hand to Kyrta. "I wasn't expecting to run into you, um I mean literally."

Kyrta was pulled to her feet on the ground in half daze and half annoyance at him. "Uh—ok…" What she didn't expecting a hand lower and lower…

"ARGGGGG! YOU PREVERT!"

**SLAP! **

"OUWCH!"

**THUMK! **

"HUMPT!"

The werewolf fell on the ground, holding his already red hand mark cheek and grinning stupidly at her as Kytra glared evilly at him while she held her red throbbed hand up in the air. She didn't noticed Yuiku ran toward them.

Yuiku blinked in surprise to seeing Kyrta glared maliciously at the werewolf landed his back awkwardly on the floor, as he could see a red mark of hand impacted on the werewolf's face while he was grinning like an idiot.

"You are really an idiot, mutt." Yuiku heard the harsh, yet sarcastically voice directed at the werewolf as he glanced up to see the dark purple-blackish haired man stood crossing his arms and looking disgusted yet amused at the werewolf. "Can't you stay for a friggin' minute without chasing around wenches again?"

"Ah, but it was worth it!" The lecherous werewolf replied back with a grin, rubbing his cheek almost affectingly.

Sweatdropped at the werewolf, Yuiku thought that person was really a lecherous idiot…whoever he was…

"Yuiku…?"

Yuiku turned his head at hearing his name and blinked in surprise at the familiar person who called his name. "…Shinyu…?" He said almost in shock at how TALL his friend was after four years. "It is really you?"

Shinyu grinned cheekily at Yuiku, rubbing the back of his neck in sheepishly at him. "Yea. Sorry about Yanji's action. He's just…well… lecher."

"PTIFFFF! Pedsora, sometimes I don't understand you. Why we have to let the mutt like him come along on a trip?" The same dark purple-blackish haired man Yuiku saw a few moments ago scoffed, glaring at Shinyu.

Rolling his green eyes at him, Shinyu turned around and grinned at him. "Zalo. His werewolf skill is really useful aside being a lecher you know. So chill out and enjoy life!" The prankster glanced back at Xuan that Yuiku didn't realize he was there too. "Right, bro?"

Xuan sighed silently, not answering to his brother's question as he turned to Kyrta. "Kyrta." He nodded acknowledging her.

Kyrta grinned already forgetting about Yanji and his lecherous behavior. "Xuan." She replied back with a nod and then she glanced at Shinyu. "Shinyu. You're the same as usual."

Shinyu pouted. "Hey, I have changed!"

Kyrta rolled her eyes. "Suuuure…"

She turned her head to another new stranger. "Who are you?" She asked curiously, in relief to seeing someone dislike that idiot werewolf.

The stranger narrowed his blood crimson eyes at her for a while and then he nodded. "Zalo."

Kyrta smirked. As much as Xuan could tell she was happy to find a new victim to push a button. The silent brother sighed in either annoyance or sympathy for Zalo.

----

Few years later...

"Kytra…" He said softly, sitting on the bed looking at the sakura tree through his window while the girl lying under the sheet, staring blankly at the floor. "What's wrong? You seem upset after Xuan left."

"…"

"Kytra?"

Kytra let a sigh escaped from her lips as she turned to him, wrapping her arms around his waist and lend her head against his chest. "Remember the first he got a element… a dark one."

Startled at her soft words, Yuiku nodded remembering the day Xuan had lose the will of controlling the dark element and nearly injured Kisara. "Yeah…I remembered."

"Xuan told me right before Xiao Lin casts him out, he admit that his dangerous element could have place his brother and his friends in danger…" Kytra said softly, almost muffed by her love's chest. "Jiro told me she'd go find him…"

Yuiku jerked in muted surprise, slowly wrapping his arms around her. "So you'll go after Xuan before Jiro could…? What about…" He trailed off, looking sad.

"…I know… Go sleep."

"…Okay…"

"Good night…"

"Good night…Kytra…"

On the next morning she woke up silently… leaving no notes or the clues of where she was leaving. She turned her head toward at the sleeping lover in the bed sadly, knowing he will be heartbroken in a minute after he could realize her disappearance.

"I'm sorry, Yuiku…"

Letting out a sad sigh as she turned to the closet and changed her sleeping robe to his usual uniform, Kyrta stepped her foot out of her hut and headed temple for picking up a new tiger uniform. Her life as Tiger of Ice was began now.

She continued on her journey, hoping she could accidentally run into Jiro or probably Xuan. Frowning, she remembered Aaku and her sad look.

"_Kyrta!" 18 years old Aaku ran to another girl in light pale blue kimono as the shortened blue haired girl turned around to see her. _

"_Aaku? What are you doing here?" She said in surprise. _

"_Xiao Lin wished to inform us that he wants to tell us. Maybe I could be Dragon or Tiger of Earth?" Aaku said hopefully, she could control over Earth since she was a child. _

"…" _Kyrta turned her head away from the joyful look on Aaku's face. "Is Xuan there…?" _

_Aaku sighed. "I don't know… No one said Xuan could control over his element or not." _

_Kyrta looked painful, but changed to looking stoned again. "…Something in my heart said Xuan would not be announced to be a part of our elemental group. He is not one of us… Dragon or Tiger. He is no longer among us." _

_Aaku looked horror at what Kyrta had said to her. "You cannot lie! You love him, right?" And what about Yuiku? _

"_I do not love him…" Kyrta said softly, knowing a little blush across her nose. "If I do, I will deny him. If you do not believe Xuan's no longer among us… You'll found out tomorrow after Xuan's gone." _

"_NO!" Aaku said determined, staring at her. "It didn't matter if he's no longer among us… he is still and always is one of us. Xuan will control over his element…someday… I know it."_

_The earth youngling sighed. "Please don't go, Kyrta… We will miss you… even Yuiku." _

"_I'm sorry… I must go to find something beyond of my search… Something that will answer to my question." The icy replay from the young woman. "There's something beyond my knowledge… Something I must discover to see what it is." _

"_If you did find it, will you return to us?" _

_Kyrta looked over to Aaku, silently thought about what the young woman had said to her. "Perhaps...just perhaps…"_

She did not know something bad happen upon the temple in a next day… It was too late for her to turn back…

It was too late to fix the mistake she made…

The evil spirited Leviathan's fault…

----

Almost a year passed, the daughter of Kyrta was born. Her name is Li. Kyrta and her infant in her arms. She had meet Zen, the Dragon of Soul from Africa. Zen told her one of his best warriors, Jadari went missing a year ago.

Kyrta did not know what happen to Xiao Lin, Liz Gon, or the Four Gods until Zen told her heartbreaking news. "No way… Xiao Lin's gone… Four Gods died…"

Zen turned his head and looked at her. "No. They did not die. Lord Seiryu, Lady Suzaku, Lord Genbu and Lord Byakko turned into a statue of god."

Kyrta averted her eyes away from the African warrior and at the ground as if it was her interest. "Then what can we do?" She then paused for a second. "What about Dashi?"

The Dragon of Soul and the Tiger of Ice sharply glance at each other, realizing Dashi could be the last chance because of his special powers.

"Kyrta… You must find Yuiku and the others before too late." Zen stated seriously, looking at her as he held the staff as proud of being African warrior.

The Tiger of Ice glanced at him with a sad look. "What about you?"

"…" Zen turned and ran through the forest.

She took it as message to look for his warrior and defeat the beast that enslaved the defeated warriors. "Good luck…"

----

He was gone.

Kyrta wept on the cold body, still holding her precious baby in her arm while her other arm holding her yet to be husband. "…Yuiku…" She whispered his name softly to the silent wind while it swept through her blue hair.

She closed her eyes and began to hum a sad song she remembered in her childhood life.

"_If we met and we love only to separate I'm sure we would meet again  
By fumbling deep in my memories I can find sweet shadows  
I can taste the sweetness of the past  
Although you are not anywhere  
I'll be okay, if I close my eyes you'll be there  
In unchanging love, I believe… _

When the spring light gathers it makes the flowers blossom  
In the summer I find the moon floating on the sea  
With the autumn wind and winter snow with a sight wish, I wish to be warm  
Four season with your love, once again

The promise that was only a wish fades away in time passage  
Can you feel me underneath the skin?  
If my feelings have accumulated so much  
We'll be okay if we believe in one another  
No matter how far apart we are, stay with me…

We go out and meet where the spring flower's sleep  
Leaving the message in the summer sandy beaches  
The autumn rain and winter tears with under crated love, I wish to be warm  
Four season with your love, within a dream

Time still flows within my heart truthfully  
our days together are quickly becoming memories  
with love and dreams becoming forgotten, whenever the day is, I wish to be warm  
four season with your love, within my heart

Four love, four season  
Four adventure, I'll be okay…  
Four love, four season  
Four era, stay with me…"

Her song faded as she heard her name called from the distance…somewhat familiar male voice… She raised her head up to see the taller, familiar monk in white robe. _Dashi? I thought he's suppose to fighting against… wait a minute… _

"Dashi?" Kyrta said softly, somehow in daze state as Dashi ran to her, Dojo curled his long snake-like body around his master's shoulders. _Mmm… Gojo…_ She thought of a black dragon with the troublemaker rebel.

Dashi seems to realize what's going on and then he put his arm around Kyrta's shoulders, smoothing her. "Kyrta…It's okay, I'm still here." The Grand Master stated softly, saddening at the loss of young monk.

Yuiku had reminded him of the young, small monk who had nearly iced him in the showdown for the pebble, which it caused him to smile absent-mindedly. _Omi. _

Kyrta quickly spotted the back orb in his palm and then she countered what it was. "Don't tell me… Is that Chaos of Orb…?" She could hear a sharp inhaled from the monk and then he closed his eyes.

"…Yes…"

Nearly dropped her jaw, she stared at him disbelief. "From what I hear from Zen, this one is too dangerous for you to control over! It hadn't been used in test yet!" She nearly choked on sob silently. "I…I don't want to lose one of my friends…even you too…"

His gray-ish black eyes averted down to the black orb, he rolled the orb in his palm into a tight fist. "I'm a true Grand Master, Kyrta… I shall make my brother Xiao Lin to proud of being a true master of all dragons. I had to do it, ok?" Dashi stated softly, narrowing his eyes in determine. "I must make that goddamn bastard pay for what he did to my brother and my good friend Xuan."

Kyrta snapped her head up and stared at him in muted surprise. _Dashi…_

He never swear, even as a monk…

"Dashi…" She said softly, and then she shut her mouth. She knew there's no way to change his mind when he set his mind on it, even if it were on his death…

The monk, no, the grand master gently handed his guardian Dojo to her. "Dojo will take you to where Gojo is. You'll see Kisara." With this, he turned and ran leaving Kyrta, her baby, and Dojo alone.

"C'mon, lady! Let's go!" Dojo said transforming into his true form and then he glanced at her looking at her dead husband. Sighing heavily, he knew how to feel to be lost someone precious to him. "Hey lady… Do not worry, alright? I'll make sure he deserved a good burial. What a good little man."

Kyrta smiled a little at him. It made her feel better… at bit. She carried her little daughter Li as she climbed on the huge green dragon and sit on it. "Let's go, Dojo."

Both of them flew away from the scene of horrible battlefield. Both they knew they would never dare to look at it in the same way again…

_Dashi… _

_Shinyu… and everyone…_

_Be safe… _

…

…

…

* * *

**End of the Chapter 14**

Me: (grin) Part II is now finished… It means it will be Toka's turn in POV! It's only six or seven chapters more left until you'll be back to where Shinyu and Xuan's battle is now. Please read and reviews this chapter, thank you very much!


	16. The Rising Phoenix of Warrior

Me: Well, Disclaimer: I do not own Xiaolin Showdown and its characters… I only own my muses and my own wu(s). Ah, I have a new screename now… on MSN messager! (grin)

Roba: Um… Miss Lizgon?

Me: What?

Roba: Err… some of our teammates…getting pretty impatient if you don't do the chapter right now.

Me: (look over at the steaming, impatient muses faaaaaaar back behind Roba) Oh. Ok… Onward the chapter 15! Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 15 – The Rising Phoenix of Warrior**

…

…

…

- -Toka's Past - -

_Hurts…_

Too much pain he had been through after being shoot by a steel demon, as he fell backward on his back, bleeding heavily.

How did he get a wound like that?

And then he remembered.

"_Phoenix Flute - Shoku Sun Fire!!" _

_The yellow phoenix turned into bright red, screeching loudly as it flew to the steel demon and covered him. _

_Yuki roared in pain, feeling under his steel armor melted onto his skin. Turning his head to Aaku, he narrowed his eyes angrily. He had no choice but to kill, no matter if he has to go down, a human must go down with him as well! _

"_**Steel Cannon Claws!"** He roared as his steel-like claws swiped down at her. _

"_Armor of Genbu – Shoku Quake Earth!!" Aaku roared as she leaped into the air and then she flew down to the ground with her armor fist. When her armor fist slammed onto the ground, the ground shook and then split into two as in between the steel demon and Aaku. _

_But too late for Aaku to get away from the shattering ground, she fell in. Teiku ran to her, yelling out to her. "Aaku!!! Grab my hand!" He stretched his hand far to her. _

"_Teiku…" Aaku said in surprise as she reached out to him and their hands clashed each other while she was hanging against the earth wall. "Ugh… Teiku…" She looked up and saw Teiku holding her hand tightly, trying to move backward. _

"_Hnnn!! Hang on… I'm pulling you up." Teiku growled with a huff. _

_As he finally pulled her out of the deep crater and both panting heavy as he grinned at her. "Boy. We won… We beat that steel ass bastard…" _

_Aaku let out a shaky laugh. "Yeah…" _

_Suddenly, a bad feeling tore through her mind as her blue eyes widened in horror when the deep growling voice from the deep crater. _

"_**Silver Bullet Cannon!**" _

_A glowing bullet in a deep yellow soared through the air and headed toward Teiku. Looking in horror at him, Aaku struggled to get up and ran toward him. In slow motion, she leaped slowly at him. "Teikuuuuu!!!" _

_Slowly, he turned his head and saw the bullet head right toward him, as his eyes grew bigger in half horror and half surprise. _

_Gasping in surprise, Roba covered her mouth as she cried out. "Watch out!!" As quickly reacting to it, Toka tore out of the way toward between Teiku and the bullet. _

_In normal motion, the off screen was splashed with crimson with a cry out in pain. Someone clutching his chest as he fell to the ground with pool of blood while the bullet tore through the flesh._

_Teiku and Aaku froze at the sight of the wounded warrior falling to the ground in front of them. _

_What the…? Teiku thought with a daze, staring in surprise at Toka. _

_Aaku gaped at Toka before she snapped out of her trance as she ran to him. "Toka! You idiot-! Why!" _

_Roba's eyes widened in disbelief at him as her tears rolling down quickly, "Toka…!"_

_Opening his dark blue eyes tiredly at the girls, the fire warrior smirked. "What? I can't let you girls get hurt… If I let one of you get hurt, I'll get lecturing out of that bastard Shinyu…" With a weak chuckled and then a loud groan when he felt a pain wrecked in his body. _

_Paused at for a moment, he glanced over at the deep crater. "Aaku…? Do me a favor and seal that thing inside right now." _

_Aaku nodded at him, she plummeted her fist onto the ground as the crater sealed up and returned to the flat ground again. "Don't go… Toka…" She said trailed off as she shuddered at the thought of Toka dying in the battle. _

_She lost Zalo and Xiao Lin… She doesn't want to lose another friend like Toka again. "Toka…Hang on, we'll see Shinyu soon. Together." _

_The fire warrior chuckled and then coughed while he covered his mouth with his fist. "Ah. I'll be fine. There's no way for a ol' flame like me to go away." He laughed. _

_Smiling at him, Aaku nodded in understood. "Roba…" She glanced over to the white girl. "Take him to the healer, please?" _

_Roba nodded. _

_Teiku stepped forward, holding Shinwa the horse bird. "Here, Shinwa will guild you two to where you want to go." He stated as he handled the leash to Roba. _

_Roba smiled at him with a silent thank as she took the leash and carried the wounded fire warrior over Shinwa's back. Riding the horse bird, she headed over the hidden camp area leaving Teiku and Aaku alone._

Now he was at the hospitable camp, laying on the white bed. Letting out a pained groan, he managed to lift his head to look at the source of his pain and grimaced at the sight of his bloody bandaged chest, only leaving his pant on.

_Ow… What hit me? _He thought with a pained groan. _It feels like a steel rock bastard demon ran over me._

Suddenly, a deep chuckle above him as he turned his head at the direction of the voice and it was only Master Monk Guan. "Master Guan…" He sighed, lowering his head against the comfortable pillow. "Where's that lazy, lying piece of s hobo dragon of your, Master?"

Master Monk Guan did not corrected Toka's rude language in way of greeting, and instead he shook his head. "He's at Northern Temple I believe."

Toka rolled his eyes at this. "Probably plotting of stealing that coward lizard's stuff…or rather stealing gold coins under Emperor's nose." He said dryly, then groaned softly at pain when he speak little too fast for his liking.

The taller monk gave a quiet chuckle, shaking his head and then he opened his mouth to say something to the injured warrior, but the loud yelling from the outside caused them to turn their heads toward the entrance.

"What's going on?" Toka asked in confusion with a pained noise escaped his lips when he tried to manage into sitting stance while his arms supported his body.

Master Monk Guan glanced back at him and then turned back to the entrance. After few long, painful minute of silence, he spoke a familiar name, which it strikes a chilling through Toka's spine. He hadn't heard that long time since the war break out…

"…_Shinyu_…"

----

10 Years ago… before the dark war break out… before the blood spill across the battlefield…

The young Japanese boy named Toka Hikyuu… the son of the high-rank samurai (his father) and the daughter (his mother) of the powerful emperor. He lives in the city where it had yet named as Tokyo and where there was full of wandering samurais, soldiers, priests, mikos, some lowly monks…

And even few of demons probably, he don't know nor don't care.

Toka sighed, slumping against the wall, not bothering to even put his scrolls back before sitting on the floor of the deserted hallway. Skipping study hall was a small rebellion compared to some other things, and on other days he would have been feeling horribly guilty. But not today, he just needed some alone time.

Shortly after his release from the hospitable hut where the friendly, old mikos heal the injured or sick people, his leader had called an urgent meeting concerning an enemy and the events of the previous battle.

Toka had missed out on most of the fight due to his consequent unconsciousness, but from what he had gathered it hadn't gone well.

_Stupid demon._

It knocked him out cold across the field after fighting few of skillful, experienced warriors. How he wished he had a power to kill that stupid laughing oni head demon.

If someone messed with him like that, and then he should be killed. He gave a angry huff, stomping across the deserted road until he heard the familiar voice reached his ears.

"Baka no ryoushuu! Baka no Akira-kusotare!!"

He blinked in surprise and then he sighed. It was his childhood friend, Yuushi, who was always swearing and cursing at their leader while he was being injured in the battle.

"Yuushi-chiyuu."

Startled at the call of his name, he turned his head to Toka. "Oh… It's you." He sighed in relief, causing Toka to raise his eyebrow at him.

"Whom did you expected? Akira-oyaji?" Toka snorted, crossing his arms across his dark crimson samurai-like solider clothes and gave a look at his friend who was grinning sheepishly. "Jeez…"

Shaking his head, Toka walked with Yuushi back to the camp until the next morning…

_Samurai Camp_

This time the young boy kept the flap to his tent half-open so that he could wake up at the right time. As the first rays of sunlight swept over the ground, Toka was up, out of his tent, and ready to disturb everyone else. "Get up! The sun is rising!"

As the other young boys, Akira the leader, and Yuushi groggily emerged from their respective tents, while Toka was already at his tent, packing everything up. He quickly threw his bundle on top of the brown and black horse and tied it down.

Surveying the others, Akira stated to them. "If we don't make it to the northern today... there will be bigger consequences."

As he had expected out of the boys, a loud, long unhappy groans and some quiet complaining from them. "Move on, boys!" He said sharply, tugged the leash on the horse as he turned around and running leaving the boys.

"Kami… I hate him." One of the boys, Toka hardly recalled his name's Genki, grumbled as he lifted himself to the seat on his horse and holding the leash. "Always push us over."

"Well… at least it's only one more mission and then it's over, Genki." Yuushi stretched his neck, looking over his shoulder to Genki as he said with a smile. "We'll be free man and return to our beloved homeland."

"Hmm…" Genki shook his head. "It's no use. I wish Zhai was our leader instead of Akira. That bastard practically sent us to our death in next battle again."

Toka manages to not to snort as he flickered the leash as he and his horse passed Yuushi and to Genki's side. "Cheer up, it's not a demon in this time. I overheard Akira yesterday, we're fighting some _human_ rebels."

Yuushi rolled his dull green eyes at Toka. "This again? Man, they don't know when they're quit." He complained as he crossed his arms and pouts cutely at Toka and then he received a chuckle out of his childhood friend.

Genki let out an annoyed sigh. _Buddha, I pray to watch over us while in the battle. I have a feeling that everything will be worse… Keep us alive until we can go back to our homeland… _

He did not know he was right…everything is not too well for them.

----

_Two years later during the battle between the Northern and the Southern. Too long for it to continued. Ten of thousands innocence lives died in the battle. Several survived through the confusion and betrayal mist of battlefield. _

_Until then it went down to one pawn and one king. _

He couldn't win. It was that one thought that kept running through his head, even as he took out soldier after soldier.

A arrow through their brain here, viciously draining their body of blood so that they appeared to be nothing more than flaps of skin draped over bone, it was all for nothing because no matter what he did, for every soldier he dispatched, there were at least four more to take the deceased's place… he couldn't last forever…

But he wouldn't run. No, somewhere in the mass of sword and arrow clashing soldiers were the bastards who killed Genki and Yuushi; he would fight until one of them brought him crashing to the ground for the last time.

He could see the lone, powerful enemy standing some distance away; Yuushi had his arrows pieced through both of the loner's arms in their last encounter, effectively incapacitating him. This might explain the… intensity of today's attack.

_Kisho._

He let out a growl at the murderous loner. _Kisho killed Akira in one arrow shot. An arrow right straight through the heart. _

"You!"

Kisho raised his head tiredly to see an angry boy's cold, dull, piecing blue eyes. "Me?" He asked amusedly, standing up without a wince at his dull pain in his arms. _Here goes my archer skill._

"Long no see you, Toka."

The silence filled across the battlefield…the remaining scent of blood and deaths in the air.

The crimson liquid splashed on the dark, drenched grass as the archer collapse on the ground panting heavily, the blood dripping from his lip. He grinned, knowing his behavior caught Toka off guard. "Ah, it's between you and me… one on one." He mused, reaching over his shoulder for the last arrow in the holder. "It will be like ol' days, eh?" He replied with a half-grin.

Holding the arrow and bow in his hands, Toka averted his eyes away from Kisho's eyes to the arrow-stabbed arms. "You're bleeding… It's impossible to shot a arrow."

"So?" Kisho raised an eyebrow at Toka and then he shrugged his shoulder off at him. "No one stop me from flare those arrows."

Faltering his arrow in the bow, the young archer frowned at Kisho. "You just can't, not with those injured arms of your." He stated.

"Just watch."

Smirking at the young archer, Kisho pulled the arrow out of the green holder and slipped it in the bow as he aimed upward at the sky and then as soon as he set the arrow on fire, he fired it.

The flaming arrow whizzing through the blackened cloud-like sky, until it strike downward into the soon to be graveyard of battlefield. As soon as the fire touched the ground, it suddenly spread all over the battlefield, consuming the bodies into the ashes.

Toka remembered how to breathe.

He couldn't believe what he was seeing. Nothing could have prepared him that morning for something like this to happen. And at this early in the morning the shock he felt was bringing him the verge of panic.

No!

He feared the fire. The same fire that killed his parents… and also killed his siblings.

It twisted around him, smothered him. He could not breathe. The smoke, it was too much. He was choking, dying.

He's going to die? This was not how it was supposed to be.

He felt the deadly grip on his arm, trembling in cold fear as he thought Kisho would kill him after toying with his true fear.

"Relax…"

_Huh…?_

"It's not too late to stop the fire yourself."

With those last spoken words, Kisho released Toka and vanished. The next thing the young archer knew, was that he was once again, and trapped in the hellfire. He felt the flames closing in on him, burning him, choking him, and killing him.

Until he finally gave in to the darkness…

The wind blew ruthlessly kicking the dirt and dust forcefully into the air. The trees leaned and groaned under the pressure of the wind. Dead branches began to fall to the dry earthen ground. No rain had fallen here for ages, and it showed. The ground was cracked as far as the eye could see. The trees were withering with every painful scorching second of the day. Soon, nothing would be left.

The unconscious boy sprawling on the blackened ground until he snapped his eyes opened with a startle. Staring blankly at the cleared blue sky, hearing the annoying chirping from the wild birds in the nearby forest.

_Huh… Where am I?_

He absentmindedly thought with a pained wince when he lifted his hand and touched his head where the sore spot that causing him a major headache.

"Easy there! You're going to pull the stitch of yours, young soldier." A male voice behind Toka's back as the soldier snapped his head back at the direction, blinking in surprise and too startle to speak.

The boy looked bit older than Toka himself and he wasn't even a human… A bird…a **Red** bird-like person in the Chinese robe?! The bird raised an red eyebrow at the gaping soldier and then rolled his eyes.

"If you're done gawking, are you going to eat this?" He handed the bowl to the boy. "And my name's Fak."

Blinking, Toka glanced down at the bowl he was trusted in his hands from Fak. "Where am I?" He cloaked coughing while his hand covered his mouth and looking around.

Fak grinned evilly, a weird sparkle in his eyes, as he trusted his finger upward. He opened his mouth to teasing poor young Toka to death. A rock flew at his head.

PONK!

"Leave him alone, will you Fak!?" Toka heard the female, the one that throw a rock at him, yelled angrily after Fak. Toka blinked in surprise, confusing and wondering where she came from.

Suddenly, she turned to Toka and bowed in front of him. "I apologized for the idiot bird for brain friend. My name's Shin Zu." Shin Zu apologized while she shot a dirty look at the direction of Fak who was whistling innocently, nursing the bump on his head. "What's your name?"

"…Toka Hikyuu…" Toka replied hesitatingly, looking Fak to Shin Zu. "Where am I?" He repeated to them, as he looked around at the wood that surrounding around them.

"You're in Northern area of Japan, closer to the dock. We're headed to China but my idiot brother found you unconscious on the burnt hill, Toka-chan." Shin Zu said with a gentle smile. "So we took you in and take care of you until you woke up."

"Don't call me Chan!" Toka snapped trembling in anger.

Fak snickered quietly, but he quickly stopped when Shin Zu shot him a meanest glare. None of the three people aware of the small bird flying in high speed toward them until then…

SMACK!

"OOOOOOOOOWWWWW!!!" Toka howled clutching his sudden bruised face and shot a weak harsh glare at the dazed bird.

Shin Zu leaped from the log she previously sat on to the dazed bird lay on the grass. "Oi! Gitu!" Running to the bird, Gitu and then she picked him gently in her arms, Shin noticed the white scroll attached to Gitu's leg. "A note?"

"Well, read it, little fierce tiger!" Fak said, stirring the spoon in the pot. "I hope it's our dear friend Xiao Lin, not witchy Hey Lin." He grumbled at the last sentence.

Toka blinked. "Who's Xiao Lin? And who's Hey Lin?"

Fak and Shin Zu blinked in surprise then they glanced at each other. "Well… Xiao Lin is the new head of the Dragon Clan. Hey Lin is the head of the Tiger Clan." Fak explained his shoulders shrugged carelessly as he continued stirring the pot. "They're looking for 14 elemental warriors to claim."

"Elemental warriors?" Toka questioned turned his head back to Fak, his face remained clueless.

Shin Zu let out a tired sigh. "Air (wind), Water, Earth, Fire, Darkness, Light, Ice, Metal…" She counted. "…Wood, Shadow, Lightning, Spirit, Immortal…"

"And Soul. That's all fourteen elements the warriors are possessing and protect the world from the evil force." Fak finished for her with a grin.

Looking up from the bowl with a thoughtful frown, the boy asked one question that they cannot answer. "What…what about Psyche?"

"That…I do not know." Shin Zu said softly, looking at the swirling liquid in the bowl. _Brother… You are as wise as the ancient Tortoise… I hope you know more answers than I could. I only know ten elements of Four Gods and the Dark Leviathan. What about Shadow? Spirit? Immortal and Psyche? I wonder if there are two other gods or demons possessed them? _

"Aren't you going to read that scroll, are you?" Fak asked eyeing her and the scroll she was holding in the trance. "Shin Zu?"

"Huh? Oh." Shin Zu blinked in surprise and then she glanced at the scroll, reading it over again. "Oh. Xiao Lin wants to know if there is Fire elemental warrior around in Japan."

Toka choked on the spoon in his mouth, his eyes widened in realization and then his fist hitting his chest to get rid of the traitor food in his throat. "MMMMPPFFF!!"

"Hmm… Oh well, that seem we can't go back home until we have a fire elemental." Fak sighed as he placed his arms behind his head and pacing around. "What a bummer."

"MMIIIIFPFFF!!!" Toka cried out, flailing his arms wildly and pointing at his throat.

"You are right." Shin Zu nodded petting the bird Gitu. "If I were a fire elemental, where I should be at."

"Maybe at Fifi?" Fak replied dryly.

"MHUMMFFF!!" Toka cried angrily, dancing crazily around Shin Zu and Fak but he was ignored.

"It's Fuji! Not Fifi!" Shin Zu shouted back. "Gods, you and your lack of brain for to use!"

"HEY!" Fak yelled feeling insulted.

Mumbling darkly under her breath, Shin Zu rubbed her forehead nursing her temper. "What do I do…? This is all useless!"

Finally, Toka spitted out some lump of food and coughed. "Um…Excuse me!" He said little loud, to get everyone's attention on him. "You two won't have to."

Fak raised an eyebrow in question at him. "Why?"

Toka rolled his eyes. "Because I'm the one you two looking for." With this, he summoned a small, weak fire from his palm. "See?"

"Great!" Shin Zu danced happily, "Now we're going on a trip, Toka-chan!"

"Don't EVEN CALL ME CHAN!"

"Whatever…Toka-CHAN."

"ARG!"

---

Three or four years later after Toka left his homeland for the trip to China and becoming a friend with the others living in the Dragon Temple until then…he set his sight on Kisara, his crush.

But also, that how he grew despised Shinyu…

When he searched for Kisara in the forest until he heard the voices. Perking up at the sound of the beautiful lady's voice, Toka followed it to the lake and quickly hid himself behind the tree, looking at two ladies.

"What are you doing here, Liz Gon? Aren't you suppose be in training with Mistress Hey Lin and Master Seth?" Kisara asked out of her curiosity, looking down at the koi fishes in the lake.

"Hey Lin… hmm… she had to go back and discussing with our dear brother Xiao Lin." Liz Gon muttered shaking her head. "And Master Seth, eh? Ah, probably being victim of Shinyu's pranks."

Rolling his eyes at the thought of Shinyu pranking his tricks on Master Seth, Toka shook his head.

Kisara quickly looked away, blushing softly but sadly, Liz Gon seem caught the sight of her blush. Liz Gon smiled understandingly at her, "I see. I'm glad he is so lucky to have a great girl like you."

Toka blinked. _Who's he?!_

Kisara blushed madly, "Liz Gon!"

"Go for it, Kisara." The soon-to-be Mistress of Immortal grinned. "Don't let him waiting too long for you!" She pushed her away from the lake and directed her to the Temple Dragon village.

Kisara smiled at her and bowed at her before she ran to the hometown in the search of her love.

Slipping from stand too longer, he collapsed on the cold ground with a thoughtful look. _Could be me? Or… _He shook his head. _No! I must not give up hope!_

With a wide grin, he got up and ran in the direction of Temple Dragon village._ Wait for me, Kisara!_

An hour later…

Carrying the full of white roses in his arms while whistling in a merry song, the fire elemental walked through the village path. He had summoned his courage to ask his crush out! It's time for him to face his fears and defeated them!

With a foolish grin, he turned the left that led him to the lake.

Unfortunately for him, his heart was about to be shattered at the sight of…

A whole of the white roses fell on the ground with a soft thud.

He froze.

The sight of Kisara and Shinyu…

…Together…

The beautiful girl leaping into the arms of another man…and the man embracing her with a love…

No…

No…

No…

NO!!!

"NO!" Toka let out a yell as he turned and ran leaving Shinyu and Kisara both startled at his sudden presence.

"Toka!!" Kisara yelled out in worried tone after him. "Toka…"

While Shinyu stared in mute surprise and a sadness hint in his green eyes, watching poor heartbroken soul ran through the forest. _Toka…_

He knew why.

----

10 years later…in the Dark War...

"…_Shinyu_…"

Startled at the sound of the name Master Monk Guan mutter in surprise and horror, he looked up and stared at the bloodied friend he had come to hate so much because of his love was stolen from him.

Shinyu…

He looked… so many cuts… so much blood all over him. Yet his eyes seemed determine and courage…and hint of sadness in them too.

Toka forced himself looking away from the cuts all over his rival's face. He can't pity on a enemy right now, especially a Heylin Tiger.

"…Toka…"

Nearly gasping in surprise at the weak tone in the powerful Tiger of Lightning and a powerful leader of all Heylin, the Dragon of Fire slowly turned his head back to staring into the gentled green eyes of the tired Heylin Leader.

"…Yes…?" Toka cloaked, cursing silently at himself for being all mushy over an old friend like as if he's back to the group once again. _Of course not he's still enemy after…after…after… _

Now he was unsure of why he treated Shinyu that way… He already gotten over a loss of his crush and move on.

"Are you okay…? The wound I mean." Shinyu asked quietly, looking down at Toka's bandaged chest. "…I'm sorry…"

_Sorry?_

_Sorry?! Why would he say he's sorry? …Oh… _

"No…" Toka quickly lowered his head and stared at the ground as if it was a source of his interest. "You shouldn't be sorry… It's okay. It is over already now."

Shinyu managed a weak smile and then he nodded, carrying the white cloth… long enough for a body…

Wait.

A body?!

Nearly, he had to get a hold of himself before he glimpse of the dead body. Who…? When something clicked in his brain, his eyes widened in mix of realization, shock, sadness, horror, and fear.

Swallowing fearfully, Toka looked up at Shinyu. "This is not who I think it is…?"

Shinyu nodded, pulling the white cloth to reveal…

His dead brother…

But no wounds…but those blood…

"How…?" Toka said softly, staring in shock at Xuan.

Shinyu frowned. "Leviathan. He killed him from the inside…his soul…"

Wincing at the thought of being killed from inside the soul, Toka shook his head. "Keep that information to yourself." He said dryly, shaking his head to clean the disgusting information out of his mind. "What do you want from me, O great Rebel leader?"

Shinyu looked away from his brother and stared emotionlessly at the Dragon of Fire. The Dragon of Fire was taken back in surprise at his sudden behavior. "What?" He said with a blink while a question mark appeared above his head.

"…Please…" Shinyu looked away from Toka again, a look of sadness on his face. "Please…burned him…until his body turned into an ashes…that's what my brother wants…"

Toka stared at him.

_Shinyu…_

_I think I understand you now…_

----

A week later after the funeral of Xuan and Yuiku…

"WHAT?!" Toka roared in fury after the fleeing messager in fear of his wrath. "Xuan's ashes is stolen?! BUT HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?!"

He refused to believe until he saw it with his own eyes. Ariko.

The disgustingly evil leviathan stole the ashes of the Tiger of Lightning's brother, Xuan and inverted his own name… Ariko. Lord Friggin' Ariko.

Toka glared at Lord Ariko with great hatred while the left of Heylin and Xiaolin together. _I can't believe it! _

When he saw the true anger in Shinyu's eyes and immediately he realized something. _It's true… Shin Zu was right… Calm before the storm, eh? _

The fire elemental turned his head back to Lord Ariko and his last three demons… Luce, Maijra, and Ragku.

It will be their last final battle…

Toka's blue eyes narrowed a little. _And it will be our last final battle too…_

…

…

…

**End of the Chapter 15**

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Me: ZzZzZ…

Khu: R & R!


	17. The Time Part I

Me: Well, Disclaimer: I do not own Xiaolin Showdown and its characters… I only own my muses and my own wu(s). Now it's Master Seth's turn! Next chapter - The Time Part II will be Hey Lin, Wuya, and Jiro (three witches)!

Now enjoy the story!

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**Chapter 16 – The Time Part I**

…

…

…

- - Master Seth's Past - -

An old man cracked a lone, cold smile on his wrinkled face. It's been a fifty years since he was the master of the four temples and the teacher of Xiao Lin, Hey Lin, Tai Zu, and Shin Zu. His students are supposed to be in their rightful place in four temples: North, South, East, and West.

Until then next thing he knew. His students changed their well known without him knowing.

Hey Lin, the student of Black Tortoise of North, decided to switch with White Tiger instead of Tortoise and switch with the South instead of the North.

Tai Zu, the student of White Tiger of West, was quite disappointed with her, but he accepted a sudden change. He decided to take Black Tortoise.

Xiao Lin, the student of Blue Dragon of East, found out from between Hey Lin and Tai Zu. He refused to switch because he said the blue Dragon is just suit him.

So Shin Zu, the student of Red Phoenix of South, agreed too, however, she was still angry with Hey Lin. And then she took the North and told the soon-to-be witch that she never want to do anything involve with her ever again.

Nearly 5 years of argument had passed later, and then they decided to have a truce between the Four of Temples. Until the children appeared in few years later known as the sacred Chosen whom will do anything to save the world and innocent lives in it from the dark forces.

It's been a fifty years since he had known of the sacred Chosen before him. He had never regret an ancient mistake in his life until now…

The reign of the Dark War…the dark battle between Heylin Clans and Xiaolin Clans…

The Harmony between The White Tiger and the Blue Dragon had all gone because of the evil spirit, Leviathan, who had now known as Lord Ariko.

Fifty years ago…

----

In the Temple, the head monk named Sha-Mo and had married a beautiful miko named Mushu. He was a Grand Master Monk and even trained all monks with his knowledge of everything he had been taught as a monk in his life.

His assistant of the scrolls and knowledge of ten thousands he knew. His name is Master Seth and his last name was unknown to all monks except Sha-Mo.

He worked with Sha-Mo for 10 years.

However…

Two years later, he was introduced by Sha-Mo to the newborn infant who was known as Xiao Lin.

He had trained the youth child to be a true monk for about two years and a half-month.

"Master Seth!"

Hearing his name, the master lifted his head up from looking at the koi fishes in the pool and smiled at the five years old child in the white and blue monkish robe. "Yes, Xiao Lin?"

"I heard you acquire three new students, is that true?" Xiao Lin exclaimed happily, grinning so wide past his ears. So happy to knowing he can play with someone his age!

Master Seth let out a soft chuckle at the child. _Ah, if only you knew you're going to be a big brother in next nine months. _He thought with a smile.

"You'll see him in the morning, now we better to get under the roof before the rain." He said before the rain starts pouring over them, their robes was now drenched.

Master Seth shook his head as Xiao Lin danced around in the rain, trying to perform some tricks he learned from the training. _At the rate, I'm going to get too old for this…_

Until next morning, Xiao Lin practically tore any objects away in his path while he was running through the hallway of the Temple. A hyper child-monk scarred poor old monks in life.

"I cannot wait for teaching the students all I know of in my training lessons!" He laughed in scary way reminded you of a proud child. "Since I am the best student of SPIRIT!"

"Xiao Lin…"

Being startled at the voice of his master, Xiao Lin suddenly tripped over and faced down on the floor with a loud thump. "Master Seth…?" He asked rubbing his painful bump on his head.

Master Seth sighed over at the sight of his first student and stepped to side, revealing three new students – one boy and two girls from three different countries. "I may introduction you to the three students. Tai Zu, his younger sister Shin Zu, and Hey Lin." He turned to all three students. "This is the student of mine, Xiao Lin, the son of Grand Master Monk of this temple."

Tai Zu narrowed his cold eyes at the young Xiao Lin and grunted in greeting way at him, he crossed his arms across his arms. "Hello."

Shin Zu, the girl by Tai Zu's side, glared up at her brother and smiled apologizing at Xiao Lin. "Hi. Sorry about an idiot brother of mine he just…a jerk. As usual." Scowling darkly at her, Tai Zu scoffed.

Xiao Lin turned his head back to the last girl same as his age. His eyes widened at the sight of her. He wasn't expecting a dark tanned girl, especially a _witch_ like her!

Hey Lin narrowed her chilling green eyes at the boy gaping at her like an awestruck idiot. "Humpt!" She turned her back to him, crossing her arms like a spoiled princess.

Master Seth winced at the childish behavior from his students, rubbing his forehead to nursing his temper. This isn't suppose what he had want from them.

Oh well… It will take a time to patient for them to get adjust to each other. He peeked over them, noticing them glaring and smiling awkwardly at each other.

Maybe…

Maybe not…

The poor master let out a tired sigh.

----

Over a nine months later, Xiao Lin nearly leaped out of joy after found out he had a baby brother.

He had slowly adjusted with his new friends; at first he liked the Zu siblings since he hadn't found out how did they end up as siblings when they lives far away from each other. Poor little monk, he fainted when he found out he wasn't only the student of Spirit.

Tai Zu had the power of Life while his sister and Hey Lin got their power of Harmony and Death.

The monk of spirit wasn't sure about Hey Lin, he would half-expected her to be evil like all witches he heard about in his monk life.

"Xiao Lin. Master Seth wants us to the meeting about our next mission!" He heard Tai Zu called out to him. He grinned brightly, his friend may be an older than he was, but one day he will be their leader as just like he had dreamt of!

"I will coming with you, Tai Zu." The child-monk called back, running after the tall monk.

Until all four students sat on the pillows before their master stood in the front of them, awaiting for his long, painful, boring speech and announced the next mission.

"Children…" Master Seth began, ignoring the groans between the students except for Xiao Lin. "I received the news that the village is now in trouble with the livid spirit for no reason. I need all of you to go and subside it."

The four students glanced at each other in confusion, how can the spirit to be angry for no reason? They wondered the same thought through their mind.

"So be it." Tai Zu replied calmly, as everyone looked at him. "All we can do is subsiding the spirit and it will leave the village in peace."

"He's right." Hey Lin agreed with a sharp nod as she stood up. "It is seem too easy for a mission, guys."

Shin Zu let out a sigh then grinned. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

Master Seth nodded, tucking his hands in his long sleeves with a hidden frown. He had feared something came in between his students and the hidden force he can't help but to sense something had coming in new years…

_My children…be on your guard… _

_Something I felt will be so greater than a true terror in my life._

----

In a village where the livid spirit was in…

"Is that where the lake that connected from between the living world and the spirit world?" Tai Zu asked the head chief of the village, pointing at the serene lake.

"Yes. The livid spirit has been raging for two years. We have no idea what went wrong with the respectful spirit who had been living with our ancestors for ages." The chief let out a sadly sigh. "I wondered perhaps there is something angered the Great Spirit?"

"Yes, there is."

Everyone looked back at Xiao Lin who narrowed his silver-gray eyes at the lake. "Even I can feel something wrong with the lake. It's…like there is a black taint in a pure white lake… probably a slowly awakened evil in the spirit world."

"That's impossible! There is no evil spirits in exist!" Shin Zu shouted in shock. "Even the Five Gods make sure of that!"

"Yeah, she's right." Tai Zu turned back to the lake. "Even Leviathan, the god of ocean and the darkness. He will know if there is an evil he would told us this soon."

"I doubt it." Hey Lin replied quietly, "I can sense it too… since I'm the one that possessing the power of Death. It's getting restless and patient at same time."

"Don't you think…?" Xiao Lin trailed off, as they looked at each other. "Chief, will you call the spirit forth so we can ask her about?"

"Eh? Oh yes, yes, yes…" The Chief quickly agreed, clapping his hands and chanted quietly to the lake that was glowered in a second later.

"_Now who called me forth?" The angry voice of the female spirit asked floating upward through the lake, peeping over the children to the trembling chief. "Who are you four children?" Her eyes returned back to the children, she narrowed her eyes at them. _

"Lady, if I may ask you a question…" Xiao Lin replied softly, not affected from the angry aura of the livid spirit while the chief cowered at the sight of her. "What has angered you?"

_The livid spirit scoffed angrily, "Of course! Since I am a seer spirit, I sense there is a dark force coming up soon after followed by a crisis and a long-painful battle I have never seen before!" _

The young students of the temple glanced uneasily at each other, Hey Lin stepped forth with a determine face. "Who and what is a dark force? What happened in the future?"

"_A dark force what is a opposed the positive emotions in the new bloomed friendship. A dark force who is everyone feared to be a dark form of the true warriors. What happens in the future is a dark cloud yet there is a silver lining in it. I saw a new hope reborn in few years of a long dark crisis of battle…" The livid spirit stopped her self, looking down at the children with now recognition and a sudden respectful place she held for them._

Xiao Lin remained silently, brooding over what the livid seer spirit had told them. "I see." He turned back to his companions. "We will carry this message back to Master Seth."

"Thank you, my lady. Be assured, we will take care of the problem!" Tai Zu grinned. "Do not to worry!"

_The seer's face softened at the children leaving with the chief. "This is what I was so worried about… I do not know who is the great evil in the dark force…is what I have feared for you, children. Especially you, little Xiao Lin."_

----

Xiao Lin was now 11, soon to be 12 in few months. Master Seth sighed heavily when he found out the two crazy sons of Grand Master Monk Sha-Mo and Grand Mistress Mushu got a new pet – a coward, green dragon.

Rubbing his forehead for headache, he shook his head at the sight of Dojo, the green dragon, climbed to the young Dashi's shoulder. The old master smiled amusingly at the sight of them bickering between two boys and one interesting creature.

He had heard a surprisingly news from Sha-Mo, the grand master monk told him there are the two sons of his old friend from the small village.

_Shinyu and Xuan…_

He amused. "I hope they are not turned out what I expected from them. I had enough of Alvaro's pranking on me in my youthful life." He glanced down at the scroll he held in his hands had the list of the sacred Chosen on it.

"Master Seth?"

The master looked up from the scroll at Tai Zu, now 16 years old as the older one of the small group, stood by the doorway. "Yes?"

"You know…" Tai Zu looked down at his shoes, feeling embarrassing by now. "I may like to be your assistant, master."

Master Seth cracked a smile at him. "Ah I understand. Tai Zu…" He handed a scroll to the young teenager. "I'm sure you'll handle it."

Tai Zu blinked in surprise and glance at the sealed scroll in his hands. "Um… what I should be now?"

"I'm sure I need your help with looking for the sacred Chosen…" Master Seth said tucking his hands in sleeves out of his habit.

"Master?"

Master Seth grinned. "I know the one you willingly teach him what you learned from me."

----

After 6 years later, Sha-Mo died giving the title of Grand Master to Xiao Lin who took two best students, Chase Young and Monk Guan. Xiao Lin grew older while Dashi still in his youthful life.

Master Seth smiled down at all young new warriors before him. Unfortunately for him, one of the 14 warriors will turned from friend to enemy and one of the 14 warriors will abandoned the Four of Temples.

All thanks to the evil spirit that the livid spirit, the Seer, warned the children of his arrival in the future. But, the children who soon forget the warning and continued their training they hadn't been prepared for the real crisis of darkness in the battle…

During the Dark War, the temple master feared for the children's life and keeps his eyes on them while fighting the spawn of demons.

"Shoku Ocean Water!!!"

A cold, twirling sprout of water soared through the sky like a blue snake, some freezing all flying demons and some blasting others away.

"Shoku Diamond Light!"

A million of white diamonds shoot out of the blackened clouds, raining down at the group of demons while their screaming in pain as the light of diamond stabbed their flesh.

"Shoku Sun Fire!"

A lava of burning hot, white, yellow and red liquid flowing over the blackened ground of the battlefield, melting everything in the dark war and including the demon victims died being melted.

"Shoku Quake Earth!"

A powerful earthquake ripped the ground in a half of gash, swallowing the demons into the darkness and silenced their screaming and roaring with closing the lacerate hole together.

Yuiku let out a chuckle as Master Seth approached them. "What are you doing?" He asked quietly, a glimpse of being serious in his eyes for only students could see them.

"Master Seth, what did you got?" Toka asked ignoring Yuiku's protest about his manner toward the master.

Master Seth quirked his eyebrow in interest at the Dragon of Fire. "Cane of Reincarnation, Double Blade Staff, Sapphire Dragon, Crystal Glasses, and Eagle Scope. Grandmaster Dashi does have Eye of Dashi, Falcon's Eye, Crouching Cougar, Emperor Scorpion, Ying Yo-Yo, Yang Yo-Yo, Tortoise's Shield and Chaos of Orb…"

Toka's head jerked up in surprise and Yuiku's eyes widened in horror. "WHAT!" They screeched in union as Master Seth cringed at their tone.

"Chaos of Orb! It's forbidden to making it. Isn't he the one who said that orb is too dangerous for to wield!?" Yuiku protested.

"It's his decision… as a grand master." Master Seth replied softly, silencing the students at his sharp word. And then the old master left them; Toka and Yuiku glanced at each other.

"It'll be bad." Yuiku whispered to Toka. "It's too strong… even for Dashi."

"Yep."

"I wish we had strong backup plan like Zalo and Jiro does…" As Yuiku was right, Jiro only possessed the few wu that she likes control with her elemental power but she's still missing. Zalo's gone… so is his Blade of Aqua, Coyote's Dark Claws and Shroud of Shadows…

The magical objects returned to its rightful place as the grand master's silent command with Emperor Scorpion's special ability.

Master Seth knew the crisis of war had begun.

----

A week later after the funeral of Xuan and Yuiku…

The old master mourned over his first student, being saddened by his sudden death. He glanced over Yuiku's now wife stood weeping bitterly, holding her precious newborn daughter.

Then he switched his glaze from Kyrta to the silent, fuming rebel he recognized him from being a child pranking his childish tricks on Master Tai Zu.

He let out a tired sigh sadly, tucking his sleeves. It hurts…when he knew the children will soon no longer a children but a warrior and left to save the world while taking care of their family they all had left.

The final battle is now began when the evil spirit returned again.

Unfortunately…

The rogue leader of the Tigers was stabbed defending the Grand Master Dashi by the banished host of the dark spirit…

The master saw the young werewolf ran like a wolf across the dead battlefield to the dying leader. _Yanji…_

The werewolf turned his head and his eyes widened when he saw his friend lying on the ground bleeding from the wound. "Shinyu!" He yelled running toward the wounded rogue. "You're hurt!"

"Yanji…" The Brazilian weakly opened his eyes and glazed over to his best friend. With a small smile, he sighed in relief. "I'm glad… you are… still there… even for… me…"

Yanji chuckled weakly, searching his bag for something to heal and his eyes lit up happily when he found something. "Hah! I found Crystal Wielder! It can heal the serious wounds! Even restoring any broken bones---huh? Wha…" He immediately stopped his happy rant when the Lightning Tiger lift his hand weakly and pushed the healing wu away from the wound.

"Shinyu…"

The rogue smiled ignoring his pain at the idiot lecherous werewolf. "Yanji… No need for that… I'd rather… to be that way… Even the magical objects… don't heal… the dead…"

Yanji quieted down and staring sadly at his dying friend as the tears falling down from his eyes, he said softly to him. "Shinyu… what about Kisara? What about your unborn son?"

"It…is the best… for them… to forget… me… I cannot…return…with this such heavy wounds…" Shinyu chuckled painfully and then sighed tiredly, closing his eyes slowly. "She knew… She just knew… Trust me she knew that I knew… Would you…"

"Go on." Yanji urged in fear of his friend would never come back again. "I'm listening."

Shinyu settled back onto the ground and opened his eyes, staring at the night stars. "Would you… have a favor for me…" He said gasping a little before he continued. "Please give my brother…a good place… He preferred the void where he died in the first place…"

_Void…? _The werewolf wondered and nodded at Shinyu. "Alright. I gotcha."

The rogue smiled for one more time and finally he went limped in the Tiger of Shadow's arms. His long ears pinned back sadly, he closed his eyes and howled loudly to the moon. Wailing over the friend's death alerted the other creatures from the forests, watching the sorrowful general wolf.

Shinyu died that night… the same night Grand Master Dashi trapped Lord Ariko in the black orb and sent it to the void.

The other demon beasts hadn't been seen since the beginning of the war now.

Old Master Seth approached slowly to Grand Master Dashi who was snapped out of his trance, staring distractingly at the pile of golden magical items. "Master Seth?" The monk asked suddenly hesitatingly.

The ancient master walked until he stood by the table, looking at the Sheng-Gong-Wu. "Sheng-Gong-Wu… You must choose the wise choice, Dashi." He looked up at Dashi with a tired smile. "You reminded me of my very dear friend…"

Dashi averted his eyes away from the old master and at the ground. "…"

"You did the right thing, Dashi, now it's time to leave them to where they will belong to." Master Seth replied, his hands clasped behind his back and gave the young grand master a smile. "Think about it, Grand Master."

And the old master left him alone with Sheng-Gong-Wu to think.

A few minutes passed, Dashi grinned at the sparkling golden items. "Master is always right." He now knew he had one more task to completed.

_To spread all magical items upon the world…_

_So they shall remain the time-consuming slumber of darkness_

_Until the next thousand of year reawakened it_

_With the power of fourteen elements…_

…

…

…

**End of the Chapter 16**

* * *

Me: Finally, this chapter done now! 

Khu: R & R!


	18. The Time Part II

Me: Well, Disclaimer: I do not own Xiaolin Showdown and its characters… I only own my muses and my own wu(s). Now it's The Time Part II, say hello to Hey Lin, Wuya, and Jiro (three witches)!

Me: (blinks) Oops. I lost count those Elements… (scratching behind her head) Recaped it.

Now enjoy the story!

* * *

**Chapter 17 – The Time Part II**

…

…

…

- - Three Witches' Past - -

Two or Three eras ago since before the Medieval Era, there are people who possessed Dark Energies which known as Dark Magic. In the Era, they are called Witches and Warlocks. Their enemies whom also possessed Light Energies which known as Light Magic, they are called Sages, Wizards, Sorcerers, and Sorcereress.

However, there are very few powerful dark or light wielders known as the Priest and Priestess whether what type of their magic for good or evil.

One was born with the magic of death and wood; there was a girl who lives in the mountain in north where the black turtle was located. Her parents, a warlock and a priestess, died of protecting her and hide her within the black forests, knowing she was now safe from the angry group of horde who despised the witches and warlocks.

Her name is Hey Lin…

Since she was now 10… the day of she left her homeland and on her first adventure with her new friends…

Master Seth sighed over at the sight of his first student and stepped to side, revealing three new students – one boy and two girls from three different countries. "I may introduction you to the three students. Tai Zu, his younger sister Shin Zu, and Hey Lin." He turned to all three students. "This is the student of mine, Xiao Lin, the son of Grand Master Monk of this temple."

Tai Zu narrowed his cold eyes at the young Xiao Lin and grunted in greeting way at him, he crossed his arms across his arms. "Hello."

Shin Zu, the girl by Tai Zu's side, glared up at her brother and smiled apologizing at Xiao Lin. "Hi. Sorry about an idiot brother of mine he just…a jerk. As usual." Scowling darkly at her, Tai Zu scoffed.

Xiao Lin turned his head back to the last girl same as his age. His eyes widened at the sight of her. He wasn't expecting a dark tanned girl, especially a _witch_ like her!

Hey Lin narrowed her chilling green eyes at the boy gaping at her like an awestruck idiot. "Humpt!" She turned her back to him, crossing her arms like a spoiled princess.

Certainly, she didn't like the look on the monk's face when he first met her. _Stupid monk. _She thought with gloomy look._ Great, there is no way I'm going to help them to fight the evil force, not with the dimwit one!_

Sadly, she had no idea what in the future had store for her.

In two years later, after Dashi was born into the word and Xiao Lin was nearly overjoyed. Hey Lin thought about their last mission at the spirited lake where the seer spirit.

"_A dark force what is a opposed the positive emotions in the new bloomed friendship. A dark force that is everyone feared to be a dark form of the true warriors. What happens in the future is a dark cloud yet there is a silver lining in it. I saw a new hope reborn in few years of a long dark crisis of battle…"_

The witch shook her head in disbelief. It would be pretty impossible for her to believe the leviathan would be sudden change of heart and turned against other Gods. It cares so deeply for oceans and its people too much to destroy.

Stopped at her writing hand on the thick book, she stared at it thoughtfully. She knew a lot about the dark emotions and other raw dark powers. _Does it mean the Gods, even Leviathan, had dark emotions? _

Hey Lin let out a nervous laugh as she watched Xiao Lin played the small ball with his 2 years old baby brother, Dashi. "Gods, I didn't think I'm insane or something." She muttered to herself, shaking her head. "If I'm right, in future Leviathan will drown an island as a sign of end of the world!"

She didn't know how right she was…

----

Deep inside the void of the ocean where the God of Darkness and Water, Leviathan, was remain sleeping under the Earth. It opened its' yellow eyes with black slits.

It's been a while since a hundred years ago he fought against his own brothers and sisters and then he was banished to the void of ocean. Now in during his exile, he ruled the ocean where there is the darkness exist.

It shook his reptile snake head as the music played echoed came from the upper in its hidden ears. It scowled darkly, it despised the filthy creatures on the ground while he, the exile god, suffered in cold, wet, void of darkness wiggling his thumbs for no reason.

An island where there is so much annoying, laughing, wild filthy creatures dancing around and praising four traitors known as Celestials.

It snarled furiously, no matter how much it desired to kill the creatures for mocking their God of Water and Darkness.

It snaked out of the cave and dashed through millions of fishes and sea animals that were cowering before their creator of Ocean.

Leviathan paused for a minute, pondering his thoughts. _I helped them to create this very planet, creating those creatures of land, of water, of sky, and of fire. How could they deny me for the sake of planet? _It hissed angrily, flickered his long tail left and right while scaring poor fishes away.

He desired to destroy the filthy creatures called Humans, but the Phoenix of Fire denied his wish and let them live on their own.

**Then why do you listen to Four Celestials, Leviathan? **The voice claimed.

The black snake turned his monstrous head at the owner of the voice. "_Ah, a Seraph…Luce._" The God of Darkness and Ocean acknowledged the white angel. "_It's been a three thousand years since I last seen you with Mother and Father._"

A seraph angel scoffed. **It's been a FOUR thousand years. Tell me why do you listen to them if you don't like their reasons? **

Leviathan narrowed his yellow-amber eyes at the smiling angel and then he hissed. _"I do fail to see why they are fond of the filthy creatures on this Earth. They're all useless, except with whosever possessed all elemental powers. _

Luce smirked. **I do know there is a way to get rid of humans…without attracting Celestials, Mother and Father's attention….**

An angel's words sparked the water snake's attention and he bared his fangs, imitating a smirk in scary look. "_Oh really? Do tell, Luce._"

----

8 years later after Sha-Mo's death, in the temple where the four warriors bounced from the training dragons to Shoku Dragons. Xiao Lin taught his twelve years old young brother, Dashi, to be a true monk and a prodigy while two other children joined in, Xuan and Shinyu.

During teaching Dashi, two other prodigy students from other temples, Guan and Chase Young, joined short after that.

Thanks to Tai Zu, Yuiku joined in.

Hey Lin, 18 years old, she had married a warlock from the mountain and was warned of the black snake that was roaming through the ocean. She overheard the group of mages talked about the snake drowned an island, Atlantis, with the great tide and slaughtered all Atlantians.

Master Seth walked in with 16 years old Tai Zu and his sister, Shin Zu while five other clans, Silver the Ave, Dynx the Felines, Kita the Kitsunes and Wolf the Lycanthrope, Dracula the Nighters and Draco the Drake.

"Ah, Xiao Lin… Sha-Mo's oldest son and a master of Temple of Dragon." Silver, the white falcon, greeted with acknowledged nod at the Master of Spirit, Xiao Lin. "Have you aware of the problem arise and caused such a powerful turmoil upon our very land?"

Hey Lin glanced back at Xiao Lin for sort of a reaction and so he did. The Dragon of Spirit clenched and unclenched his fists in his long sleeves while his eyes narrowed in silent anger and disappointed. "Leviathan… Why did he do that such horrible to those Atlantians?"

"The great power corrupted him and blinded him, Xiao Lin." Dracula, the head of Night Clans, spoke through the darkness and flashed his dull and lifeless yellow eyes in the dark. "It sway him to the path of evil. He is now our true enemy."

"What about Celestials?" Draco the King of Dragons rumbled, rising his dragonish head and glared at Dracula. "Aren't they stopped him?"

The gray-white wolf stood up, sighing tiredly. "They surely did, Draco. But no one stop him from spread all evil over land. I heard that Luce, a seraph of the Lady and The Lord, was banished from the Heaven for his crime. I believed Luce and Leviathan are somehow worked together against the Celestials and the Spirits."

Silver let out a half-groan and half-huff as he paced around. "Damn it! Is THERE a way to stop Leviathan from activated the Orb?"

"Orb?" Kita questioned, his long reddish ears twitched.

"The Orb that destroyed the First Earth ten thousand years ago that all we knows." Xiao Lin explained. "It was now in Leviathan's grasp and renamed it… _Leviathan's Orb._"

Loud hushing and protesting all around the groups as the Dragon of Spirit expected. "SILENCE!" Wolf barked loudly, silencing the noises that groups are making in the room. "We must stop him all costs! With our powers and with Celestials by our side, we will defeated Leviathan and sealed him forever!"

The group roared loud, cheering and snarling in victory.

Xiao Lin turned to Hey Lin, looking at her green eyes and then he smiled. "Will you take care of my brother and his friends?" He asked.

Hey Lin glanced at the Zu siblings and Shin Zu nodded encouraging the witch. She turned back to Xiao Lin with a beaming smile. "Yes."

One year later, when Four Celestials and the land creatures including humans with powers clashed against Leviathan and Demons of Darkness along with Luce.

The long battle raged on and on until the end when Leviathan was defeated by his siblings. The demons of Darkness cowered when they realized their master was fallen in defeat and flee away.

"No! I will not be defeated in shame!" The Celestial of Darkness and Ocean roared in pure rage, the power-hungry look in his yellow eyes. The dark purple swirling in the black orb was held in the single claw in the air, causing the land creatures and humans flinched back in fear.

"_Celestial Darkness Leviathan's Orb! Activated!_"

Everyone watched in horror as the void grew bigger and bigger, the spirit laughing darkly as the black wind trashing violently, the earth shattered while the silver liquid spiking upward, tearing over the black ground. At same time, the lava flowing from the mountain's peak and the water floods over the ground, freezing all trees and some still living creatures to death. The Wood grew bigger and black, with deadly thorns all over the ground like a black plague. The ice dropped the warmth of bodies into the deadly low, freezing the lungs inside slowly. The Light was blocked out as long as the sun never rises again. The darkness, shadow, and the immortal death covered the earth, transferring the true fear and death into the humans' very soul.

"No! Ten Thousands Years of Darkness Orb! How can he get something evil like that?" Wolf cried out, his gray furs stood up in fear and anger. "It will be end of the World!"

Laughing cruelly at the cowering land creatures and humans, the black snake's voice boomed loud to the sky of Heaven. **"This is what you get for mocking me, Celestials! As a true god, I deserved to rule the World with my iron claws!" **

The earth gave one final groans under the children's feet, rumbling as they fell on their rear. The metal of spikes stabbed upward, scaring them to death. Silver's eyes widened as he stared at the deadly silver pikes while he crab-walked backward away from one of the silver spike.

Arms flailing, Xiao Lin stared bewilderedly at the deadly, silver pikes all over the shattered ground. "Oh shiiiiiit!!" He gaped, staring fearfully at the powerful, full solid, sinful spirit stood before them. "I should have known all along…"

Suddenly, a beautiful song echoed across the land of chaos filled with sense of calm and peace through the land creatures and the warriors. A Bird of Paradise soared with two figures in heavenly robes from the sky toward the Leviathan.

"_Leviathan, God of the Water and Darkness, I am disappointed in you._" The Lady Hikari replied in calm tone, crossing her pale slender arms across her chest and glared motherly at the black snake.

The dark celestial serpent hissed backing away from the great light, knowing it will burned his flesh if he got closer to the Creators. **"Wench, I can what I desired! This is my destiny to rule. To destroy the Earth." **The Serpent shouted back. **"I am tired of being sitting in the Darkness while my Siblings enjoyed their Freedom no matter where they are, with their elemental bonds!" **

"_You are no speaking of ill against my wife, you vile snake!_" The Lord Yami snapped back. "_If you wanted the freedom, then go ahead. But as the Lord of all Celestials, I decided to punish you for your crime to bring the chaos with you upon the Earth because of your envy with jealously._"

Leviathan glared heatedly at The Dark Lord and the Light Lady, coiling around his body with a flickered tongue with snake language. **"Do whatever you wish to punish me. My destiny will await." **He smirked knowingly when Xiao Lin noticed.

_Why is the Leviathan smile? Does that mean…did he have a backup plan? _The Dragon of Spirit thought with a frown.

"Celestial Virtue Seal!" The Lady and Lord yelled in unison, their holy power drew the elemental powers from the Four Celestials, the land creatures, the warriors, the humans, all over the Earth.

They created the white symbol of star, sun, moon and earth all together in one. The other symbol of seventeen elements…

Fire.

Water.

Shadow.

Ice.

Light.

Darkness.

Earth.

Wood.

Wind.

Lightning.

Metal.

Spirit.

Immortal.

Soul.

Death.

Life.

Psyche.

The black serpent roared in pain and rage as the celestial symbol seal appeared around his body, paralyzing his movement where he cannot escape. The ocean of darkness surround his long body of snake began twirling wildly, pulling him down slowly.

He thrashed wildly with all his power and until his eyes caught the Dragon of Spirit's eyes, he quickly stopped and then relaxed with an evil smile on his reptile face.

"**I will be rise again!" **He roared with one final breath before his body was destroyed, leaving him as a black spirit being sealed within the void.

The battle was over.

----

Two winters later after the defeat and betrayal of Leviathan, the Psyche unknowingly disappeared when the 11 legendary warriors joined together.

Hey Lin's twins born that day and she named the girls Jiro and Wu Ya. Thanks to the Stream of Youth that caused the two years old youthful twins into now fifteen years old sisters with their now teenage mind, her mother can not returned them to their rightful ages again.

Wu Ya, the sly daughter of Hey Lin, who despised only one monk that is Dashi. Like Shinyu, Dashi chose her as the victim of his prank tricks.

Jiro, the gentle daughter of Hey Lin and the young sister of Wu Ya, who loved reading ancient books and scrolls. Like Hey Lin, she can read ancient text on the wall as well as other ancient languages.

Unfortunately for the three witches, one of the 14 warriors will turned from friend to enemy and one of the 14 warriors will abandoned the Four of Temples.

All thanks to the evil spirit that the livid spirit, the Seer, warned the warriors of his arrival in the future. But, the warriors who soon forget the warning and continued their training they hadn't been prepared for the real crisis of darkness in the battle…

Jiro haven't been prepared for her sister's betrayal and haven't been prepared for the first and final showdown between Dashi and her sister.

She hasn't been prepared for Xuan who was turned away from the path of good for the path of evil and haven't been prepared for the seal was broken because of Xuan.

She haven't prepared for Xiao Lin's death and the Return of Leviathan in Xuan's body.

She haven't prepared for the peace between Xiaolin and Heylin clans shattered and haven't prepared for the Great Fight between Xiaolin and Heylin.

She haven't prepared for her mother's disappeared and death…

But, she should have seen that coming to her…

_Her Death. _

_That day the last time she had seen her sister before the final showdown between her sister and Dashi…_

"Why you have to go over to the dark side, sister?" Jiro asked, looking back to her sister with a frown. "Is it because of Dashi?"

Wuya snarled, whirled sharply to her sister with her cold green eyes narrowed. "You do not want to continued or you will wish you'll be dead at hands of mine rather than the dark lord."

As she could hear her sister stirred behind her back with a heavy sigh. "Is it possible you're fallen in love with him? Or…"

The second witch snapped angrily, looking into her sister's soft eyes. "I **despised** him, Jiro! His master praised him on and on, like as if he's hero! He's no hero. He's worse like Shinyu!"

No respond from the first witch. Wuya snorted un-lady-like at this, turning her back on her sister and was about to walk off to road in the forest.

"What would it happen if you challenged him and lose?"

Wuya suddenly halted at her track as her back was still on her sister. She lowered her cold eyes on the ground and saying nothing to the first witch.

"You would regret to challenging him, sister. Because of your greedy and hungry for the magical objects you're targeting… Please change your mind and be resist against all lies that man feed upon you!"

Wuya began to walk again, ignoring her sister's cries.

_It would be the last time Wu Ya seen her younger Jiro…_

The two groups ran toward the black mountain, a fierce wind blowing their hair wildly and pushing them away slowly while they looked up at the sky and saw the blue lightning strike in distance and the green fireballs flew upward from the same distance.

Shinyu's green eyes bugged out.

"Dashi…"

Jiro covered her mouth with her hands in horror and shock. "They're fighting each other! What's going on?"

"It's a first showdown, guys." Dojo piped up, stuck out his head from Shinyu's robe and looking at them. "I heard Wuya longing for Sheng-Gong-Wu and with it so she can ruled the world with Ten Thousand Years of Darkness!" He whimpered in fear, covering his eyes.

Shinyu whirled around and glaring at them, "Stay here! I'm going to check it out!" He ordered as he turned around and running up the mountain trail.

"Shinyu!" Kisara yelled about chased after the Brazilian but Yanji caught her wrist and she looked back at him with a sad expression. "Yanji, let me go!"

"Just stay and wait to see what happen…" Yanji whispered, looking up at the distance of the mountain. "Just trust me, girl."

Kisara nodded slowly, turned her head and looking at where Shinyu had disappeared. "Just be careful, Shinyu."

Dashi flung backward onto the black ground as Wuya stood on one of the cliff, glaring down at the monk with green fire burning from her hands.

"Give up, Dashi?" She asked, grinning so her fangs were revealed.

Dashi glared up at her and stood quickly, "No. _Eye of Dashi!_" He yelled, aiming at her with his favorite magical object as the blue lightning snaked toward the dark witch.

Wuya growled at the monk as lit her hands and blasting the green fire at the blue lightning. The powerful attacks clashed each other and equaled at its level.

Shinyu ran upward the end of mountain trail in just time to see the monk stood on the mountain peak and the witch stood the opposite way, their attack keep clashing each other while trying forced over another.

"Oh, man! Oh, man! This is bad day! Bad day!" Dojo whimpered, clutching his head and shaking his head wildly at same time.

Shinyu bopped his dragon-like head and growled, "Shut up, gecko!"

"What do we do? What do we do?" Dojo cried, shaking Tiger of Lightning's head while he was unaffected from the blows. Shinyu pushed him off his face and watching the fights. "Don't you mention there's a backup, gecko?"

Dojo rants suddenly halted, his eyes widened. "Did I? I don't ever remember…."

Shinyu smacked his face with his right hand and groaned. "Why me…."

When Dashi had a backup, he held up a brown and black box and shouted. "Puzzle's Seal!" It opened and pulling the Witch while she struggled with all her power but failed.

Before she pulled into the Puzzle's Seal, the last three words entered her mind. _I'm sorry, Jiro…_

_That day Wu Ya lost in the showdown and trapped into the Puzzle's Seal…_

_Until then, Jiro fed up and left the Xiaolin Temple…_

The dark, long green haired witch turned her head when the noise rumbled behind the bushes and narrowed her cold hazel eyes when the bush revealed what she want to fight against.

"Evil spirit, I demand you to let of the host of a brother!" Jiro cried angrily, gripping tightly around her only magic book. "Or else I will hex upon you out of the host's body!"

The host flashed his amethyst eyes and stared amusingly at the young witch. "Oh? Well, well, my young witch, Jiro." He drawled, smirking when the witch fumed angrily and rolling her small hands into fists. "What would you do if you killed dear a sibling? Will Shinyu look down upon you if he found out his brother's dead?"

Jiro scowled angrily, "I swear I will, no choice, to ask Byakko to revived him back."

The spirit in the host snarled and narrowed the cold amethyst eyes. "You will not mention his bastard name! I knew he soon be consume with his own element, feeling the dark emotions from the mortals. The emotions are shown great weakness, ha, just like all of humans and creatures."

Jiro cried out angrily and ripped the book opened, "Then I will cursed upon you forever!" She shrieked as the book glowing. "No magical objects will cure it! I swear to you, Xuan will be free of your filthy claws! You will be curse to be slain by the same person you're controlling under your claws!"

The spirit snarled forcing his host to call forth the _Wushan Geyster _and_ The Void of Staff_ and the great force clashed against the magic spell.

And then, the white light flashed all over the China, wiping all villagers and heroes' memories, except for two…

The powerful spell that was created by the two different spells clashed each other, ripping Jiro's body in a half and spilling her blood of sorceress over the grass and the wood's barks.

All she remembered the conversation between her and Aaku when Kyrta disappeared…

"_What! What do you mean? Xuan left!" Aaku said in shock as she whirled around and gaping at Jiro. "Why?" _

_Jiro sighed sadly, "I overheard… with Kyrta… that Xuan is no longer among us any more…" She looked around and sighed once more. "Xiao Lin dismissed him away and told him that he's too dangerous to be part of us… If he's a Tiger, he will be lot more dangerous to the world especially with his tainted power." _

"…_Tainted power…?" _

"_That I do not know why or how…" Jiro shrugged her shoulder looking hopelessly, shaking her head. "Darkness is the opposite of the Light… perhaps something more dark than our ordinary elemental powers. I think it is the true power of Leviathan." _

"_But he's not Leviathan! He's just…human… There's no way he'll abused his own element!" Aaku disagreed. _

_Jiro held up her old scroll, averted her eyes away from Aaku's pleading look in the eyes. "Maybe he can't. But his soul and heart can be corrupted with the feeling of negative emotions." _

_Aaku covered her face, wishing she could join with Kyrta and vanished like the face off the earth. "Xuan… How's Shinyu?" _

"_Pissed off like hell." Jiro said dryly, rolling her hazel eyes in displeased. "He nearly cast some bolt on some poor victims with his angst."_

_Shinyu… _

She remembered all of her friends, smiling and laughing in the back of her mind. _Everyone…_

And then she remembered the lecher… That day she first gets to know him after the first week…

_**(Flashback)**_

"Didn't what?"

Jiro blinked again; shrugged, deciding it was time to move past _that_ particular little issue if Yanji was delightedly ignorant. "Nothing," she replied hastily, fixing the werewolf with a roll of her eyes and a dismissive wave. "I'm just overtired. Fell asleep earlier, now I've got nothing to eat or drink. Hence the late-night outing."

"You don't say." Yanji raised an eyebrow but didn't look up from his apple. "Then of course there's the matter of why you're staying at that temple _at all_. Rats have better hovels."

Jiro groaned at the reminder. "I got as far as I can go with my spell books. As soon as I can go find Xuan." She muttered, slapping her hands to her face and dragging them down it in irritation.

"I'd believe it."

Jiro's hands stopped halfway down her face at the sarcastic tone. She glared. "Was that comment absolutely necessary?" She mumbled out from beneath her hands. "Looks like I'm already paying for being out of place, thank you very much."

Yanji smirked. "Looks more like I'm having problems with a stalker, to me."

"A stalker!" Jiro screeched staring bewildered at the werewolf.

The smirk deepened.

Jiro grounded her teeth together so tightly that her jaw began to ache. "A stalker," she spat out eventually. "What on _earth_ gave you an idea as flattering as that?"

Yanji snorted and shot her a stupid look.

She scowled. "Would you care to put that into words, werewolf?"

"No, I don't think so. It goes without saying, really…"

Even still, she couldn't seem to move past Yanji's dumb idea. To think _he'd_ have the courage to even _consider_ her as the stalker type. And _him_ of all people, Geez! She pondered sputtering melodramatic in rage for a few seconds before counting slowly to ten, breathing in and out in order to let her frustration vent.

She was nearly back to her normal levels of 'serene' when Yanji chose to add to his sentence.

"… I can't help that I'm just undeniably attractive."

That was very close to the final straw. Actually, scratch that, it was.

Jiro strode forward and for a moment contemplated simply poking Yanji in the eye, seeing as he seemed to be enjoying smirking at her with _that look_ so much this evening.

Instead she settled for reaching up and snatching the half-finished apple from between Yanji's lips and dropping it to the ground, kicking it out with her foot with jerky, overemphatic movements.

"Don't you should not eating apple, werewolf? You're suppose to eating meats or something werewolf do whatever," she said sweetly, trying out a smirk of her own.

Yanji was unfazed. "Supposed to be quitting to eat meats, anyway," he replied smoothly, dropping the hand that had been holding the apple to his mouth and settling it behind his head, where he proceeded to lean even back against the large wooden fence that framed the property behind him.

"And by the way, stop smirking, the expression doesn't suit you."

If growling like a rabid dog on crack was at all possible for a human, Jiro came close to accomplishing it then. "Perhaps that's because I don't walk around _wearing_ said expression all day." She said hotly.

"And a good thing, too, otherwise your face might just stick that way, and then whose ridiculously overemotional face would I mock?" The werewolf asked grinning at her.

Jiro blinked and jammed a hand onto her hip. "I am _not_ overemotional."

"Hormonal?"

"No."

"Psychotic?"

"Nope!"

"Maniacal?"

"… Isn't that you?"

Yanji's eyebrow twitched. "My, my, my! Have you been sharpening your tongue since I saw you last?"

"Yep, for fun. I find it helps me deal with completely egotistical idiots that have inflated heads and freaky eyes…" Jiro said sarcastically, rolling her dark hazel eyes.

"… Sarcasm also doesn't suit you."

_**(Flashback)**_

_Yanji…_

She smiled.

_Good-bye, Yanji…I will see you again…_

…

…

…

**End of the Chapter 17**

* * *

Me: Ooh. Guess Wuya really do care about her sister, huh?

Me: (bowing in apologize) When my sister pointed out I'm missing one of seventeen elements. (smack her head) So that why I'm recaped it again.

R & R!


	19. Life of a Lecher

Me: Well, Disclaimer: I do not own Xiaolin Showdown and its characters… I only own my muses and my own wu(s). This chapter is now about the life of lecherous, girl-chaser lycanthrope thief named Yanji Wolf! Oh and I don't own Dracula! I own the several Clans.

Yanji: W00t!

Now enjoy the story!

* * *

**Chapter 18 - The Life of Lecher**

…

…

…

- - In Western Region - -

_**One Hundred Years ago before the Dark War start all the chaos raged upon the land… hundreds of clans raged and befriended each other, either become an enemy of an enemy or become an alley of an alley. **_

_**One pup born in the clan of western where there is pack of wolves had ability to transform into a full human. They are tried to fit into the humans in the town…Until then a dark mage found out about the pack and cursed them with a curse under the full moon will allow them to transform into a full, bloodthirsty monster known as…**_

_**A Lycanthrope… **_

_**They were stunned by the mob of humans and flee into the western mountain, having a lesson to learn about the humans. **_

_**A pup who hadn't seen a living human among his pack… until then he meet his "human" friends for the first time.**_

The peaceful day at the Western Region since they had fought against the enemies known as Nighters, especially Count Dracula. The pack of lycanthropes running on the four legs, barking and howling in a mix of shout and laughter through the wood in snow and until then one of the wolves pounced on the younger pup.

The sudden collide between the older wolf and the young pup, send them rolling down the valley and…

**_Plop!_**

And then the screaming shattered the silence and then followed by very loud laughter until the angry voice howled after that.

"**YANJI!!! That wasn't even FUNNY!!"**

A 17 years old pup named Yanji Wolf, rolling over laughing at the older wolf that was dripping in cold water while the wolf was stood in the half-frozen pool. "Aw, c'mon Gao. You definitely needed a COLD water!" He grinned playful at Gao.

Gao glared.

Yanji smirked.

"Come on, maggots," said the Captain in the front of the pups. "Move it. The war isn't going to win it's self." And then he glanced toward Gao and Yanji pouncing each other, the Captain frowned.

"Gao! Yanji! GET BACK YOUR ASS!"

Yanji and Gao cringed, whining for a while before the boys ran back to the troop of young lycanthropes.

"Sheesh. Only five minutes before Captain noticed you two." One of the young lycanthropes snickered.

Rolling his gray eyes, the pup shook his head. "Every time I sees Captain get red, I remembered he caught you and Dea in the bed humping and humping, Reiji."

"YANJI!" Reiji shouted, turning into crimson across his cheeks. "Can't you get rid of your…habit?"

Yanji grinned while Gao sighed, shaking his head. "It's impossible to get him to quit groping every girls he sees."

"Don't place a blame on me, pals!" Yanji replied pouting at his two friends, crossing his arms and his tail went under his legs. It made him look like a kicked puppy.

"Yanji…" Reiji shook his head. "It's not working on us any more."

"Damn it…"

Gao's blue eyes lit up in sudden thought then he grinned at Yanji and Reiji. "Hey guys, did you remember how Yanji become a lecher in first place?"

Reiji snickered quietly, seeing Yanji's reaction at the distant memory. As seeing their smirk, Yanji cringed.

"Aw…c'mon guys! It's as painful when I remember it!"

----

In Mountain Region…

Ten years ago…when his father and grandfather took Yanji to see the Northern Region, only to visit the Northern Lycanthropes.

When they arrived at the region, there are the nearly thousand of black and gray wolves while Yanji's family was white and silver. As seven years old, he looked around curiously in the new scene of region.

"Ah, High Chief Wolf!"

Everyone looked right at the direction of the voice, the old wolf grinned at the familiar black wolf in the black uniform. "Chief Anoka! It's so good to see you in one shape, old friend."

Chief Anoka barked laughing then stopped, letting his blue eyes wandering from the High Chief Wolf to Yanji's father and Yanji as he grinned. "Ah, look what the wolf dragging in our region? Balto Wolf and his son, Yanji!"

Grinning at the Northern Chief, Balto greeted some of the generals and admirals while his son, Yanji, wandered off through the streets, awing and gaping at the small houses and some tents.

Except for one mansion on the high hill. He stared up at it, being embraced by the beautiful scene of a mansion in front of him.

"It's my father own it, huh?" A new voice spoke startling poor pup out of his trance. Yanji turned his head and blinked at the black lycanthrope in black robe with two long white sleeves and white baggy pant. "My name's Reiji, I'm Chief Anoka's son. Are you?"

Yanji flustered after realizing he was rude by gawking at the rich pup, shook his head. "Yanji Wolf. I'm Balto's son and the grandson of Western Chief Wolf."

Reiji grinned. "Cool."

Meanwhile, back to Balto, High Chief Wolf, and Chief Anoka discussed about the war against the Nighters a.k.a. the Vampires.

"They even knows we are exposed our weakness to the silver items!" One of the Generals argued, slamming his fists onto the table while the table shook under its pressure.

One of the Admirals, sit back and yawned tiredly. "You know, General Dino. Their weakness is daylight and the holy items." She said dryly, smirking at the General Dino shot her a burning glare.

"She's right, Dino. Right, Admiral Silas?" Grinning at the General Dino, Balto's right hand creeping closer to the target and completed its task…

"…ACK!" Admiral Silas yelped as she dropped the file folder on the table and her eyebrow twitched angrily at the sudden feeling. And then she shot him a death glare.

"You… You… YOU GROPED MY BUTT! You LECHER!"

**WHA—ACK!**

"OWCH!" Balto Wolf yelped in pain, rubbing his cheek as the angry, red mark left on his left cheek and then he pouted at the fuming female lycanthrope. "I can't help, but your butt seem so… perfect and round…"

"Ugh! Perv!"

**SLAP!**

"OWWWWCH!!"

High Chief Wolf and Chief Anoka sighed shaking their head sadly at the poor lecher and the fuming she-wolf.

Back to Yanji and Reiji, who was showing him around in the region suddenly they turned their heads at the direction of the loud noise. "What was that?" Reiji asked unsurely, turned his head back to Yanji.

Yanji shrugged his shoulders, his expression remain clueless. "I have no idea. So I'm guessing it's my father, usually he do something upset someone."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning he groped someone female, including women. I still don't get why he likes to be slapped or being whacked with a super mallet."

Reiji winced. "I do hope it's not Admiral Silas."

"Who and why?" Yanji curiously asked, tilting his head like a confused puppy at Reiji.

"Admiral Silas is in the high position next to General Dino and Chief Anoka." Reiji grinned. "And she is what everyone said that she's like an angel from the hell she don't like someone in her way."

Yanji's eyes bugged out at him. "Whoa… ouch."

Reiji nodded. "Hell yeah." And then he heard the shout from behind them, grinning at Yanji. "That's Gao Howl. One of my best friends." As he dragged Yanji to the tent where the youth boys live in.

Yanji frowned at the thought crept on his mind. _What's Gao...?_

----

The Dark region…

In French and Russia where the clan of vampires were hiding from the humans. In the haunted castle, Count Dracula is an infamous wealthy vampire that everyone feared him except for some vampire slayers and the braved priests / mikos. His wife, Lilith, sitting in high and golden chair with a baby inside her stomach, her due is within a next week.

Suddenly, one of the servants ran up to Count Dracula and whispered to his ear about something. Count Dracula's red eyes widened in surprise and then narrowed in half anger and half concerned.

"So that's true?" He replied turned his head to the high servant, Roki. Roki cautiously nodded.

The master of all night turned his head to the messager stood by the door. "Messager, tell High General Fang to hold the army back while I'm going to China to check what's going on."

Messager bowed. "Yes master." And then he ran off looking for a high general.

"Mm…" Dracula looked thoughtful, curling his fangs. "Lilith, my lady, I have something important to take care of." He said turning to his wife with a small smile.

Lilith sighed then nodded. "Very well. Please come back for our dear son…" She smiled fondly of her baby. "...Xavier…"

----

The Forest region…

"Master! Master! Master!" One of the small felines ran to the ancient feline with huge fluffy mane. A white lion in the pale sky-blue robe stood in the white temple turned his head to the small feline.

"Yes?" Master Leo asked gently.

"The humans---I mean Priests are in trouble! They need your help!" The small feline panted heavily from all running from the China across the famous long wall.

Master Leo narrowed his soft blue eyes and nodded sharply, "Gathering all my packs and tell them not to come for me. I have something important to take care of…"

----

The Sky region…

"Lady! Lady Dera! Something bad happen in Ocean!" One of the Ave shouted flying through the hallways until he found the Lady. Lady Dera turned her head upon hearing her own name by an Ave.

"Fak? What's wrong?" Lady Dera asked worriedly, griping the young red bird. "What's happening down to the Earth?"

"Leviathan went psycho!"

"What?" Lady Dera's hazel eyes went widened in surprise, as she stared in disbelief at Fak. "He cannot be! He's such a gentle serpent…as harmless as mermaids."

_You never know when an innocent mermaid transformed into a dark version of a mermaid...Sirens. _Fak thought to himself, twitching an eyebrow. _Creepy!_

"…I'm going down to concerning him to came back to his sense." Lady Dera's voice snapped him out of the deep thought.

"What! You can't! He'll kill you!" Fak yelled, flapping his red wings in panic. "You know, you're a bird. He's a snake. Animal instinct you know!"

Lady Dera rolled her eyes. _Typical Fak…_

"Leviathan would never harm a fang on me. Not unless Suzaku, the Phoenix of Fire, can prevent it from happening."

----

In Ocean region…

"Lord Leviathan is really depressing, isn't he?" One of the sea mermen asked eyeing at the sulking black sea serpent.

The blonde girl frowned at a merman, flipping her tail. "Leave him alone, Jengu. It's been a while since Luce's last visit to our world."

"It's been a four thousand years." Jengu narrowed his eyes at her and then he swam to her until he stopped in front of her. "Dyris, I'm not surprise to find you among our kinds. A siren that seduced many men under her charm who tricked them into thinking a siren is a real mermaid."

Dyris scowled at him, she snarled. "Don't call me a siren like those bitchy men-seducing murderous harpies."

Jengu, the mermaid, rolled his eyes at this. _No matter how many times you deny your kind. They threw you off the day you were born a hybrid. A daughter of a harpy and a mermaid… _

Dyris was born nearly the mountain on island where the clan of sirens living in, something went wrong when her body changed. On the land, she transformed into an ugly monster she cannot seduce a man who flee from her in fear. The clan of sirens saw her as a disgrace to their kind.

So they sent her parents to be slain in the cave of sea six heads monster known as Scylla who was once a beautiful water nymph. Like Dyris, Scylla went through the same thing happened to her.

While her parents was killed, when Dyris was now a teenager the siren shunned her and threw her in the ocean. Her curse was activated when her skin connect to the water, she was transformed into a beautiful mermaid, shunning the clan of sirens.

Vowed her revenge upon the sirens, her plan is to flood the world and rule it from undersea. Unfortunately for her, when Leviathan found out her plan and forbid her from entering the land.

Until then Leviathan's mood changed, everyone who lives in the undersea cowered in fear not knowing what to do when the giant snake's mood swing all sudden.

Only his brother, Seiryu, the Blue Dragon knows.

Dyris heard the soft tail fin flapping behind her and knew who this was…

The water nymph boy who soon to be the Lord of Ocean… Leviathan's first chosen…

Susku.

----

Back to Mountain Region… On the field and the sky become darkness, the Northern and the Western gathered together in the small circle where the fire pit in the center of the circle. Gao wrote on the sand with his wood stick, telling his companies about his plans how to stop the vampires from killing their clans.

Rising his eyebrow at the brown Eastern lycanthrope, Reiji opened his mouth while sticking his finger upward, about to say something to him.

**SLAP!**

A loud whack echoed across the group, causing everyone turned their heads and stared at familiar white lycanthrope laying on the snow, staring up at the sky in shock state while the red mark on his cheek was throbbing like hell.

While the female she-wolf growling down at him, clenching her fists at both her sides and glaring. It was obliviously that she threatened him if he were near her again, she would have no hesitate to kill him.

"OWWWWCH!!" Yanji howled as she-wolf stepped on his tail while leaving him alone in pain. "Well, at least I understand what Dad's doing."

Reiji reached him, sticking his hand out to his friend. "Need hand, Yanji?" So he helped him up, after making sure a she-wolf didn't injured him that bad. "What the heck are you doing to piss her off? I never see Dea that angry before… rarely."

Yanji grinned idiotically at him. "I groped her."

Reiji and Gao stared disbelief at him until Reiji groaned, his hands on his head swearing under his breath. "Oh gods… I can't believe you're actually did it… Don't tell me you're following in your dad's footstep…aren't you?"

"Yep."

Reiji let out a sigh. "You're an bravest idiot I have ever met." Hearing this, Yanji grinned widely at him.

Suddenly, the older clans of lycanthropes running out of the huge tent, taking some weapons leaving the youth stared after them, confusing and bewildering at all sudden happening in one day.

The three boys looked at each other frowning at the thought…

_What in the world is going on?_

----

One hundred year later…

The black serpent roared in pain and rage as the celestial symbol seal appeared around his body, paralyzing his movement where he cannot escape. The ocean of darkness surround his long body of snake began twirling wildly, pulling him down slowly.

He thrashed wildly with all his power and until his eyes caught the Dragon of Spirit's eyes, he quickly stopped and then relaxed with an evil smile on his reptile face.

"**I will be rise again!" **He roared with one final breath before his body was destroyed, leaving him as a black spirit being sealed within the void.

The battle was over.

But at the price… Balto Wolf, his father and the son of High Chief Wolf, was killed at the destruction of Leviathan.

On the same day, Yanji left his clan to exploring through China, where there is the small village and he grew up in there and becoming a famous thief…

Until the day he ran into people he never knew in his life he was going to be a hero…

In the beautiful day for a small village, a boy with strangest dog-like ears and long white tail with gray fur walked near the food bar, whistling innocently.

Suddenly, a loud voice of the man's screaming rang through the village then a loud laughing sound of the boy's voice soon after that.

"GET BACK YOU MUTT!" The cook yelled, shaking his fist wildly as the werewolf howled laughing. "GIMME MY MEAT BACK!"

He turned his head to the cook, still running forward. "Oh yea? Well, here is yours!" He chucked the bone at the cook and chuckled as the bone bonked off the cook's head, knocking him out cold.

Still running away from the cook, he turned back still grinning and he turned the left until…

WHA—AM!

"OW!"

"WHAT THE FUCK?"

"Wha--?"

"Hn…"

The werewolf sit up looking dazed and shook his head, blinking at the three humans in front of him. The light brown haired boy with dark green eyes blinking and rubbed his head painfully, the dark brown haired boy with amethyst eyes silently, looking bored at his brother and his friend.

'_The last one… the scary-looking purple haired with weird eyes… oh, look at veins. One… Two… Four… Errr… six, seven? Ten boiling, angry veins…'_ The werewolf thought to himself, blinking again.

"DAMN YOU FUCKIN' FLIHTY MUTT!" The hot-tempered teen howled angrily, rolled upward his sleeve to jerk his fist for ready to beat the idiot mutt up.

'_Eh… so such colorful language… Oh, look at the red beet face… It's not good.'_ The young werewolf laughed silently, knowing he was as good as dead by now.

"Zalo…"

The red-eyed hotheaded boy turned around sharply, glaring deadly at the amethyst-eyed calming, lightheaded boy held the china teacup in his hand. "WHAT?"

The calm boy held the teacup to Zalo. "Calm down, or popping your veins aren't going to help your boiling head." He said, turned to the startled werewolf. "I'm Xuan Pedsora. This is Shinyu, my brother and this hothead idiot is Zalo."

"Hey!" Zalo growled, crossing his arms and scowled darkly at Xuan who ignored his silent threat, waiting patiently. "What's your name?" He asked, looking down at the dazed werewolf.

The werewolf blinked and grinned goofy at them. "Yanji Wolf."

As now they had become friends, as poor Zalo was still not happy to having the new pup added to their group… They found out the new pup is known as lecher.

They watched him goes after a girl and talked to her until…

A female's voice shriek echoed through the village. "YOU PERVERT!"

_**SLAAAAAP!**_

A yelp from the lecherous werewolf as he fell down on the ground, clutching his red-mark cheek and he grinned idiotically at the three boys.

Zalo huffed, crossing his arms and glared down at the dazed-look mutt. "Damn mutt… You're always ruin their moment by groping their rears."

Yanji grinned at this, looking completed innocently at them. Shaking his head in disbelief, Xuan placed his hand on his forehead for a headache.

_Yep, something changed his life for sure. _

----

After the Dark War… he never thought that day he would lost his only best friends…he want to the thought of together they would live longer until they become old and ancient, having a married life and children to take care of…

But because of Leviathan, their dreams were shattered and their worlds were falling into darkness.

_First Zalo…_

"Meku…" The gray wolf coughed some speckles of blood on the grass and growled weakly, struggling to get up. "You said you knew where Lycan is… I thought… The Balance took him away from us…"

The Forest Demoness smirked, "Of course… I lied. Have you heard of your friend, Zalo, hmmm?" She asked smiling as her light green and yellow eyes.

The gray wolf looked up in surprise and confused. "Zalo…?" Of course, he hated Zalo because of all whole mutt nickname thing, but still he knew Zalo as one of Shinyu's friends and still treated him as his friend as well.

Meku chuckled lightly, "He's dead. One of my siblings killed him."

The gray wolf froze as he heard about the strong, reckless, stonehearted teenage boy died fighting against one of the Four Beasts… "No." He whispered, stumped onto the grass bleeding slowly. "He can't be dead. He's too strong for this…"

_Then Xuan…_

A week later after the funeral of Xuan and Yuiku…

His hands trembling while he held the scroll from his messager in his office room, reading it over and over again.

**Xuan's dead…**

Taking a sharp breath, he bowed his head on the table weeping for Shinyu's dead brother and silently cursed at Leviathan.

"Shinyu…"

He had to go to see him… no matter how many times he fought through his enemies to reach his last best friend…

"I'm coming for you, buddy."

_Now Shinyu… Yanji had finally found him dying in the final battle after Leviathan's fourth defeat._

"Shinyu…"

The rogue smiled ignoring his pain at the idiot lecherous werewolf. "Yanji… No need for that… I'd rather… to be that way… Even the magical objects… don't heal… the dead…"

Yanji quieted down and staring sadly at his dying friend as the tears falling down from his eyes, he said softly to him. "Shinyu… what about Kisara? What about your unborn son?"

"It…is the best… for them… to forget… me… I cannot…return…with this such heavy wounds…" Shinyu chuckled painfully and then sighed tiredly, closing his eyes slowly. "She knew… She just knew… Trust me she knew that I knew… Would you…"

"Go on." Yanji urged in fear of his friend would never come back again. "I'm listening."

Shinyu settled back onto the ground and opened his eyes, staring at the night stars. "Would you… have a favor for me…" He said gasping a little before he continued. "Please give my brother…a good place… He preferred the void where he died in the first place…"

_Void…? _The werewolf wondered and nodded at Shinyu. "Alright. I gotcha."

The rogue smiled for one more time and finally he went limped in the Tiger of Shadow's arms. His long ears pinned back sadly, he closed his eyes and howled loudly to the moon. Wailing over the friend's death alerted the other creatures from the forests, watching the sorrowful general wolf.

Shinyu died that night…

_After he found Roba and brought her to his last clans he hadn't seen in many years… His grandfather's clan…_

"Damnit… Where is that damn traitor!" Yanji howled angrily, ignoring all other werewolves who yelped in fear at his rage. "High Chief Wolf! Why don't you let me go!"

The old wolf glanced over to the raging general with his own tired-looking stare. "General Yanji… Lycan's gone and never return to the Earth. Balance killed him years ago. Please restrain yourself."

"But, Sire!" Yanji howled again at his grandfather and stomped around so much like a childish behavior. "What if Lycan's alive and much in flesh! The second Balance won't help at all, more likely ripping our existence in half!"

Roba looked over worriedly at her husband. "Yanji…" She began but quieted down knowing she can't stop Yanji from doing stupid. And she also wished if Zalo was still alive from the beginning and then it wouldn't apart the team from each other.

"If only…! Damnit! If only Xiaolin and Heylin hadn't go against each other and disappearing from the beginning!"

Roba jerked and stared sadly at Yanji who closed his eyes and covered his face with his hands. "Yanji…" She whispered holding her precious mirror it was the last wu she held from the rests that Dojo and Grand Master Dashi hid from the evil forces.

The old high chief lifted his chin weakly at the mourning general and sighed deeply before replied, "General… You know the rule… if you dared step out of the clan… you will be known as banished. But I can make it an expectation because you are our only powerful general."

Yanji lifted his head from his hands and stared disbelief at the chief before he grinned happily, "Thank you sire!" As he sprung out of the cave and disappeared from their sight as Roba rolled her pale silver eyes and shook her head.

_Be careful, Yanji… I know something will happen to you that day… _She thought with a sad glaze at the magical object she held in her hands.

_Only if he knew he was going to die that day… Otherwise, he would glad to do it if he wants to see his best friends so bad…_

_After killing the Second Balance and Lycan's death, the infamous general lying on the grass bleeding around him…_

He watched the souls disappeared into the sky and fall on his knees, gripping on the grass. "I don't understand… at all… What do you mean that you're had nothing to shed any tears…? Just like years ago when you killed your pap…" He whispered to himself, gritting his teeth in silent rage.

Suddenly, he coughed covering his mouth and stumped backward, lying on his back against the grass and glazed at the sky. "Damn… That damn Balance… poisoned me with a silver liquid…" He gasped a little and coughed, the blood dripping from his lips as he gritted his teeth again.

"Huh… Silver…" He chuckled weakly, "Heh… So I'm dying… I suppose."

Closing the dark gray eyes, the werewolf chuckled softly to himself as he turned over painfully and fought against his pain to get up. "Sorry Roba… Looks like I lost." He said smiling a little as he walked toward the dead balance and collapsed in the few yard.

He heard the soft footsteps and all he saw was the dark spirit in the shape of a black dog… and then his world suddenly turned into the darkness.

He was gone.

Suddenly, he heard his name was calling to him and opened his eyes to staring at the white sky…

Wait, a white sky?

"Yanji, damn mutt, you're an lecherous idiot I have ever seen." He heard a familiar voice growled directly at him.

_Zalo…_

"Zalo! Leave him alone. Buddy, how's everyone on Earth?" Yanji's eyes softened at another voice.

_Shinyu…_

"Hello you lecher…" A familiar girl grinned sarcastically at the werewolf, "Aren't you suppose with Roba, are you?"

Yanji's eyebrow twitched. "My, my, my! Have you been sharpening your tongue since I saw you last?"

"Yep, for fun. I find it helps me deal with completely egotistical idiots that have inflated heads and freaky eyes…" Jiro said sarcastically, rolling her dark hazel eyes.

"… Sarcasm also doesn't suit you."

He turned his head and recognizing everyone he knew died standing in front of him smiling and grinning. And then it hit him like a giant elephant fell on him.

He was in Spirit World with his friends…

Yanji grinned then sighed sadly, remembering Roba. He knew he was supposed to stay with Roba and be old with her, but it's over for him now.

_Roba…_

…

…

…

**End of the Chapter 18**

* * *

Me: Poor Yanji, but at least he get to see his friends and be reunion with them again. Next chapter about Roba!

And good news is…dun-dun-dun… No college in two or three weeks! It means I'm on vacation for Christmas and New Year day! All right for me!

R & R!


	20. The Destiny's Light

Me: Well, Disclaimer: I do not own Xiaolin Showdown and its characters… I only own my muses and my own wu(s). Hmmm… not so much everyone knows a lot about Roba, the shy girl, eh? It's time to look into her past about who she is and where do she grew up in her life?

The Story Chapter Begin, everyone!

* * *

**Chapter 19 – The Destiny's Light**

…

…

…

- - In unknown Region - -

_Wind from the beginning_

_Deliver my message_

"_Because I will always believe in you."_

_Though I now stand in the world_

_Seen only in dreams at that time_

_My legs tremble a little_

_As I look out over the vista,_

_But I will not turn and look back_

_Because I've decided to keep walking_

_Looking up at the sky_

_The seven-colored rainbow_

_Do you see it too?_

_Wind from the beginning_

_Deliver my message_

_Because I'll watch over your back,_

_As you run to your dreams_

_Wind that soars so high_

_Bask in the sun's rays_

_Take flight fiercely with your free wings…_

A patch of light rested of young girl's lap and bathed her face in an illuminating glow. The sun flooded the rustic wooden floors of the small living space, as the girl rested in a chair pushed towards the window. The house upon hill was the first to meet the rising sun in the morning, and the last to watch the sun elapse into the hills. It was a striking place to live, but she couldn't help thinking how hot she was right now. Sweat dripped down her face in showers.

_It's such a very hot day in this summer… _She thought, wiping her white cloth napkin across her face.

Her name is Roba, the personal servant of the Queen in Europe. She was born in a poor house, living with her three elder brothers and her sick mother while her father was out fighting the thieves from the mountains.

Her light gray hair is what everyone thought what isn't a normal natural, but she just dismissed it and said that is just the way she was born with her unnatural hair. Also her eyes are that what stunned every man with her silver glaze, causing everyone thought she was a blind girl, which she wasn't.

The wind swept past the flaming forest on autumn day; blowing some autumn leaves through the peaceful village, while the small girl walked carrying the huge basket in her arms through the hallway road.

"Good morning, Roba!" One of the villagers called out cheerily to her from the store, cleaning the table with the washing cloth with a good mood grin. "Can you come here and help me moving some boxes back in room?" He asked with hopeful look.

"Oh! Roba, will you please bring the book back that you borrowed yesterday?" Another one from the bookstore stepped out of the doorway with a sweep she was holding in her hands.

"Roba's here! Can you play with us? Pretty please?" The group of young children scattered from where they was playing to Roba.

"Need some help, Roba?"

"You looked exhausted, Roba…Oh I know! You can switch your position with me, I can take care of stuff you're working so hard!"

Sweatdropped at the friendly villagers, she let out a sigh. _What a day… _

----

Meanwhile, in the downtown part of the huge palace…

"DAMN!" The man cursed loudly, wrecking the paper into a ball. "I've been had! What a waste of time! Ahren's a liar! Gold…my ass."

One of his friends glanced over at him, looking pity on his face. "Klon…"

Blinking in surprise, Klon glanced up at his friend then looked back to the ground. "…I need money. See ya at the café."

"Right." His friend replied with a gentle smile. "See ya there."

"Okay." Klon nodded waving to his friends before he turned back to his poor house, walking in. He blinked realizing something wasn't right at his house… He turned to his table where his stolen moneybags was.

"Hmm?" He blinked at the empty table. "Where's my money? Huh…?" Something white paper lay near the end of the table caught his eyes, he picked it up and began to read it.

"What the…?" He trailed off reading over the paper again.

_Dear Klon, my sweet idiot brother, _

_I'll be on the road. _

_Thanks for the gift. _

_From, _

_Ahren. _

_P.S. _

_I'll buy you a present. _

_(with Ahren's a cartoon smiley grin face and peace sign fingers)_

Reread the paper again, his eyebrow twitched while sweat dripped over his face. "…The gift?!" Klon asked confusedly to himself.

Until fifteen minutes later, some words finally sunk in his brain…

"HE TOOK ALL MY MONEY!!! THAT BASTARD!!!!"

Meanwhile afternoon later in the bar, the bartender continued cleaning the glasses and blinking in surprise at Klon who was still sulking behind the bar table, glaring at the table.

"So? Did you go after him, little brother?" The bartender asked raising an eyebrow up, keep cleaning the glasses with his long white napkin.

"Uh-huh." Klon muttered plopped his cheek against his fist while he rested his elbow on the table with a grumpy look.

Sighed softly to himself, the bartender leaned over the bar table, placed his elbow on the table staring coolly at his little brother. "He came here around noon to say good bye." He said with an eyebrow raise so high.

"Part of his plan." One of Klon's friends said munching on meal on plate.

"…" Klon scowled darkly, looking away from the bartender. "I'm hungry, Lroy."

Then one of his friends looked up from the plate, gulping the soup then grinned at Klon. "Sorry. No free food."

"So, he just took your money?" Lroy frowned then shook his head. "Geez, he must really love you, baby brother."

Stiffed at the comment, Klon reached over the table and snatched his elder brother, shaking him violently. "What the hell kind of a bartender are you!?" He yelled to his brother, growling loudly to his face.

Lroy managed to take his brother's hands off his shirt, grinning widely at him. "Alright. Have some water, little brother. It's free."

Klon stared blankly at the huge barrel of water was placed on the table by Lroy, the bartender. An unseen vein popped on his forehead, he twitched quietly. _S'okay. Be cool…_

Until during the evening while the sunset behind the quiet town, Klon sighed heavily staring at the water glass he was playing with straw. "So, Lroy… any big gigs?" He asked with hopeful look stare at his elder brother. "I need the cash. I'm starving."

Lroy stopped cleaning glasses and then he stared coolly at Klon. "Isn't that enough? Our baby sister is working at palace as being servant. I'm working at this bar as a bartender. You? Being a untrained thief no less."

"So?" Klon shrugged.

The bartender placed the long cloth napkin and glass on the table then his hand rubbed his forehead for a headache. "Nothing right now. How about a treasure hunt?" He said dryly continued rubbing his forehead.

"Right." Klon snorted. "Give me something real."

Lroy twitched. "Hey… man, I'm not Ahren. Klon, heard about dragon rock in the castle?"

Two of his friends and Klon perked up hearing about the dragon rock, grinned widely at the bartender. "Dragon Rock!" They yelled in union in awe.

"Keep talking!" Klon urged happily to his brother while the bartender rolled his eyes at his childish behavior.

"You know those spiritual knights who fight demons?" Lroy continued.

Klon blinked then grinned. "The guys who never age, right bro?"

"They're human but close to elemental spirits and forest keeper elves. Strong and immortal." The bartender continued, sticking up his finger with a smile. "Their growth slows down toward puberty. So they never age then… They grow at different rates."

"Yeah. So?" Klon grinned eagerly.

Lroy smiled then turned into serious look on his face, staring icily at Klon. "Well… If you get the rock… then…" He glanced away from the three idiot boys. "You can become one of them!"

"Say WHAT!!!" They gapped in disbelief at him.

"Yes. In some rumor, the dragon rock had some shed of light that gave someone a power of foresight… the power to purifying any dark taint on everyone, including the demons."

"That's awesome!" One of the friends said in awe, his eyes widened at the thought of dragon rock's hidden power.

"You can ride a dragon and use a sword! Cool!" Another friend added with a daydream look.

Klon closed his eyes, turned his back to them crossing his arms across his chest. "But I don't want to fight demons." He said softly, causing them turned to stare at him.

"True…" He continued while one of the friends turned to another with a _not this again_ look. "It's a waste of time."

The bartender smiled softly, picking the glass up and cleaning it again. Klon's friend begged to Klon. "It's still cool, though. We've got the next target!" He turned to another friend with a huge grin. "Let's check it out and hit it in three days!"

Hearing at this, Klon stopped sipping the water glass and placed it down on the table then stood up, startling his friends.

"Going tonight, Klon?" Lroy blinked in surprise at his brother as he asked.

Klon looked back over his shoulder with a wink. "Gotta make a living. That dragon rock's mine! But I'm not gonna join those knights!"

As Klon left, Lroy shook his head in disbelief. _How did people end up falling for my make up story to get their spirit up? _He rolled his eyes at the thought, continued cleaning Klon's glass. _Oh well… It is always makes the life interesting._

---

In the room where Roba was cleaning in until the moon came up behind the mountain, she heard the noise.

_CRASH! _

She blinked in surprise and then she glanced at the door with curious sparked inside her. _What was that noise…? I thought no one guard this room since it's been an empty for years._

"Man. That was close… This isn't my day." Roba was surprised to hear her young elder brother's soft voice. _Klon? What he was doing here in all of place? Is he visiting for me?_

She peeked over the crack through the door to see her brother placing his arms behind his head, looking for something.

"Maybe I'll come back." Klon muttered to himself until his stomach growled at him. "Ah, well. I'm outta here."

Roba sweatdropped. _Typical… _

Suddenly, something sparkle caught both of their eyes as they looked at the direction and stared at the weird shape was stuck into the wall. Klon and Roba blinked in surprise and confused at same time, staring disbelief at the weird round-sized shape.

"Whaa…" Klon said trailing off, staring in awe at the shape while scratching behind his head. "Wow. Is this it? It's huge! And it's stuck to the wall!"

"Is this what?" Roba asked suddenly stood behind Klon as her brother jumped at her voice.

"Roba!" Klon hissed quietly, clenching his chest where his poor wildly beating heart is. "You scared me there, sis."

"But what are you doing here?" Roba asked curiously, raising an eyebrow at him. "Don't tell me… Is Ahren dared you to come here stealing something?"

"Hehe… Actually, no." Klon sweatdropped at the distant memory and shook his head. "I heard about the dragon rock then I thought I'd take a close look at."

"It's stuck in the wall? What are you going to do about it?" She turned back to the weird shape rock stuck in the wall and stared at it.

"Ah, well… Time to get to work!" Klon grinned, rolling up his sleeves and dug deeper into his black bag.

Suddenly, a voice behind Klon and Roba the mysterious figure stood crossing his arms across his chest and stared up at the same rock. "Hm… Kinda big isn't it?"

"ACK!!" Klon and Roba yelped in startle while Klon dropped his tool bags to the floor and Roba turned around bowing before the mysteriously figure.

"P-P-Prince!" Roba manages to stop sputtering in shock.

_Prince?! Isn't Roba tell me about him… As in Prince Xavier of the Europe? Great, now what? _Klon thought to himself sweating furiously, staring blankly ahead in front of him while his back to the prince.

"Kinda small, for the light spiritual knight, though. Maybe for a priestess, hmm?" Prince Xavier continued as if nothing happened, then he smiled at Klon and Roba while he walked to the table and sit down on his chair, reading an book. "Good luck, boy." He said to Klon before he opened the book.

"…" Klon and Roba still froze in their track, turning slowly around and stared disbelief at the prince. "…Huh?"

_What's wrong with him? _Klon thought staring in confusion at the prince reading the book. _Isn't he screamed for a guard to arrest me for breaking in and stealing what's belonging to him?_

"Um… Sir?" Roba began looking worried for her brother.

"Yes?" Prince Xavier looked up from his book with a smile at the young servant stood with her brother.

Klon stepped forward scratching his chin in confusion. "Umm…I broke in here last night. I'm a thief." He said bracing for what's coming at him.

"I see." Prince said flatly, returning back to the book again.

_WHAT THE HELL?!_ Klon stared at the prince and then back to his sister, raising an eyebrow for a explanation.

Roba looked back at him, shrugging her shoulders helplessly that she had, like Klon, no idea what's going on.

Klon turned back to the prince and then yelled at him, causing Roba stared at him with her eyes widened in surprise and horror. "Aren't you gonna stop me? I'm stealing the rock!"

"You can't."

Both of the teens stopped and blinked in surprise at the prince who continued reading the book and smiled. "Pretty honest for a thief, though."

A vein popped on Klon's head as he glared darkly at the prince, clenching his fist in the air at him. "WHAT! Wait a second!" He stomped toward him until he face to face the prince in close space.

"Klon! Stop!" Roba said worriedly, seeing her brother snatched the prince up by the shirt. "He's the prince you know!"

But Klon ignored her and growled at Prince Xavier. "You don't think I can, do you?!" He growled glaring down at the prince who stared back at him coolly, kind like Lroy…

Then he dropped him and turned back to the wall where the rock was stuck in, mumbling. "Just watch me!"

Roba turned back to the prince with a surprised look and the prince caught her look then gave her a smile. "What's your name, little girl?" He asked with a smile when Roba looked surprise.

"Uh…Roba… My brother is Klon…" She replied watching her brother pounded the hummer on the wall, growling and mumbling.

Nodding at her, the prince returned back to the book again. "Roba, would you bring me a snack please?"

"Yes, prince." Roba said with a confusion and surprise. _Maybe, this isn't that bad… This is all confusing in one day. Hopefully Klon won't kill him when I get back with snack…_

---

After Roba brought the snacks for Prince Xavier and her brother, Klon, she sat on the other chair watching him trying to pry the rock off the wall.

"Damn! This is hard!" Klon growled at the wall, holding the nearly bending in wrong way tool item. "And I'm starved."

Roba sighed. "You haven't been eaten for whole day, Klon." Her brother scoffed at this and continued what he was doing in the first place.

After an hour later until the sun came up, Klon glanced over his shoulder at the prince who writing some paper and reading something written paper. Clewing his lower lip, he turned around and rested the poor-looking tool in his lap. "Can I say something?" He asked her sister blinked and looked up from fixing the snacks.

The prince looked up from his work and smiled at Klon. "Of course." He said nodding at the newer thief.

"Get some guards in this place. Or you'll get robbed every night." Klon said picking up tools and putting them in the black bag.

"Wouldn't it be hard for you to get in, then?" The prince said innocently watching Klon fell over and crushed onto the floor in anime-style. "Careful."

Roba smiled at this and giggled quietly behind her long servant sleeves. _Poor Klon… _

"Wait one cotton-picking minute!" Klon shouted standing up after fell over and stormed up to the prince.

The prince stepped back in surprise and stared at him. "Are you okay?" He turned to Roba. "Isn't he hurt after fell off the chair?"

Roba shook her head and grinned back at him, assuming him that her brother's head as thick as the wall so he should be fine.

"I'm a thief! A bad guy! GET IT, PRINCE???" Klon yelled pointing to himself and glared at the prince.

Smiled at him, the prince took some paper into his arms and stood up from the chair. "Maybe you really can take that rock." He said taking the black coat from the hanger.

The siblings blinked at him and glanced at each other. Klon frowned at the thought. _I don't get this guy…_

When Klon noticed the prince was leaving out of the doorway, he yelled after him. "Where are you going?! I'm still here!"

The prince smiled back at him. "I have to meet with some kings. They're waiting for me."

"Umm…How do I get out?" Klon asked sweatdropped and turned his red face when the prince let out a laugh.

"Leaving already? Your sister, Roba, isn't she?" He glanced back to Roba and then to Klon. "She knows where to way to out of this room. She will show you later. Have a good day."

As he left, Klon ran his fingers through his hair and groaned. "I came to steal this rock! What's going on here?!"

Roba shook her head with a knowing smile. "You should eat before you leave…or before you take a rock."

Klon sighed heavily, hanging his head down. "Nah, that's okay… I'm leaving now. Oh, and Lroy said hello." He hopped out of the window leaving Roba and the snacks alone again.

Roba shook her head. _Typical brother…_

---

Meanwhile in the bar…

"That's it?" Lroy asked blinking at the sulking young thief, smashing his head onto the table and groan in relay. "I kinda expected you running from the guards howling like some sort of crazy monkey, but not this…"

"… I was so hungry, I couldn't do the job!" Klon whined loudly rising his head upward from the table.

Lroy let out a depression sigh. "And you refused Roba's offer on snacks? Geez…why didn't you just eat the snack?"

His young elder brother gave a blank stare and rolled eyes. "I was there to steal. Not to eat." He explained pounding his fist on the table.

The bartender sweatdropped at his little brother's words while cleaning the glasses behind the table, he glanced over at him. "Weird sense of honor, Klon, you have there… Kind like Dad…" He mumbled trailing off, shaking his head in disbelief.

"What's it to you?" Klon scoffed closing his eyes and crossed his arms on the table.

Lroy let out a soft laugh as he placed the barrel of water. "No such thing as a free lunch!" He grinned down at his brother.

Klon stared blankly at the barrel of water while a huge sweatdrop rolling down his head. "I knew it…"

---

Back to the room the rock was still stuck in the wall while Roba stared up at it in awe. "Dragon rock, huh… That's what Klon's talking about?" She asked to herself quietly, staring at it.

"No. It's not a dragon rock as everyone thought so." A voice startled her so sudden, she turned around and found the prince stood before her. "It's called Destiny's Light. It only choose the one for walk on the path of destiny either to be good or to be evil."

"Really?" Roba turned back to the rock. "Why then you allowed Klon to continued stealing this one?"

Prince Xavier grinned at this. "Because I'd like to mess his brain a bit for breaking in my library room in first place." While his grin widely when the young servant giggled softly at his word. "It's his punishment."

---

Back to Klon, he was sitting on the stairs outside glaring at the downtown city. "Prince Xavier, eh? What a weirdo…" He said to himself staring up at the sky in deep thought. While he listened the sound of the village where people walking around and chattering loudly, laughing in the air.

"Stupid bartender… Lroy gave me a free sandwich, but I'm still hungry." He grumbled then punched his other hand with his fist with grin. "I know! I'll borrow some!"

Suddenly, a hand came out of nowhere and grabbed his wrist in death grasp startled the youth thief. "A thief, are you? Good!" A cold and emotionless voice in the shadow grinned down at him.

_Yikes! _Klon stared up at the hooded person with long crimson hair that was visible out of the hood over his face. And then the thief stood up in courage and glared at him. "Who the hell are you?!" He yelled angrily, tugging his hand out of the death grasp.

_What a grip!_ He set his jaw tightly and narrowed his eyes at the hooded person. _He's not a human…_

"Want to make some cash?" The hooded person asked with a devious smile, still holding Klon's wrist making it bruised in dark blue and purple.

Klon glared at him continued struggling with effort. "Let go! What do you want?" He growled like an angry cat.

The hooded person looked up revealing the soft face of a male looking human except with a cold demon-like look in empty eyes that stare the hole in your soul. "I want you to kill Prince Xavier."

_What? _Klon stared disbelief at him. "Look, bud, do it yourself." He said finally got out of the death grasp but once again to have his wrist snatched in death grip again. "HEY!"

"I'll pay you well. I can't enter his castle." The hooded person said simply, still smiling.

"I do what I want. And I am not buying." Klon responded back with a strained grin. _Is this guy for real? _

"Sorry."

The hooded person smiled. "Then I'll have no choice." With this, the black darkness snaked up like a coiling snake from his arm to Klon's wrist where he held in a grasp, entering the thief's soul.

"WHAT THE----!!" Klon yelped in pain while he was swallowed in the darkness. _Uuhhh…._ He could taste the blood he bit into his lower lip before he blacked out.

_Roba… Get out….of here…_

---

Back to the castle, the queen stared in mute surprise at the cracked rock on the wall. "Wow. It's as if…" She trailed off covering her mouth and stared at it.

"…Someone tried to steal it." Xavier's other friend, Fang, twitched an eyebrow at the rock as he answered to the queen.

"That's right." The queen laughed quietly, smiling at Fang. "Well, my son did tell me."

Fang pouted sadly at her. "Please share these things with me next time. Stupid Xavier. He never tell me everything other than his library room which it makes weird sound." He growled while the queen laughing.

Meanwhile the prince walked beside with Roba, discussing with her about dealing the problems that arise in the downtown city, he stopped when he heard something noise in the garden and glanced over at it.

Roba blinked at him. "What's wrong?"

"Shhhh…" Prince Xavier hushed narrowing his eyes as he sense something odd in the air. Then he noticed Klon stumped through the garden. "…Back to steal the rock, Klon?"

Klon glanced up at him holding the sword Roba noticed in surprise and confused. _The sword? Where did he get that sword from…? _

"…Xa…Vi…Er!" Klon growled grasping the sword before he charge at the prince, surprising both of them. "Yaaaa!!"

"Klon!" Roba yelled in horror as her brother slashed the sword at Prince Xavier but luckily, the prince avoided the attack and landed on the grass.

"Roba! Go stay with Fang!" Prince Xavier yelled, shooing the servant away while he kept his eyes on Klon.

"Prince…" Roba said softly, looking back to the prince then to her brother with worry look. She had never seen her brother had a killing look on his face and neither she knew her brother never kill anyone in his hands. "Klon…"

"Klon…" The prince said softly, walking toward the thief with sword. "It's okay…I won't hurt you."

"Stay away! I'll kill you!" Klon yelled in fearful, holding his wrist most likely where this all start in the first place… He stepped backward away from the prince who kept approaching to him.

"There's a demon inside you, Klon. You have to fight it!" Prince Xavier said softly to him as he snatched the thief's hands.

"Klon…" Roba said softly, realizing that her brother was being controlled by a spirited demon.

Klon opened his eyes and stared disbelief at the prince. _A demon…? Wait a second…_ He looked up at Prince Xavier, panting heavily. "A weirdo in the street… told me to kill you…" He said in pain.

"It's okay. That was Luce…" Prince Xavier said softly, pulling the frightened thief into his arms. "It's okay…"

"Why…" The thief said softly, lowering his head into the prince's chest. "…me?"

"Well… Demons can't enter the castle. But…Klon, you're human." Prince Xavier answered with a smile. "Rest now. Roba, your brother Klon'll be fine now." He turned back to Roba and grinned at her.

Roba stared in horror at the scene and stepped forward toward her brother and the prince. "Prince Xavier!! Look out!" She yelled after him, running to him.

A mutant-looking claw wrapped the prince's neck, strangling him slowly to death. A familiar voice spoke through Klon, taunting at the prince. **You're weaker than I expected, Prince Xavier. I am guess you are not like your father. **

_Luce…_ Prince Xavier thought with a frown.

**This human body got me right through your defenses. **A voice snickered raising the thief's head, narrowing the demon-like eyes at the prince he had strangling in his claws.

"Klon…" The prince said calmly, staring right at the demon-like eyes he once knew as a thief. "…What do you want me to do…?"

Klon huffed in pain, straining to stare at him. "It won't stop until you're dead. You'll have to kill me." He said sternly.

"Klon…" Roba said sadly, looking at her brother. "…No!" As she ran to him and hugged him tightly, weeping on his chest. "I don't want you to die!"

_CRACK! RIPPING! SLASPH!_

She froze, looking down at the sight of what her brother had done. Her brother did torn his arm off, sparing the prince to life. "Your arm…!"

Klon grinned weakly at her, holding the missing arm. "What a day…" He said laughing softly. "I get possessed by a demon and I had to cut my own arm off. That's what I get for trying to rob you, prince."

"Klon…" Roba said softly, staring helplessly at him.

While Prince Xavier glanced at Klon, creating the sword out of nowhere. "I see." When Klon saw the sword and smiled weakly at the prince.

"So you really fight demons, eh?" Klon said with a grin. " Must be tough, my lord."

_Wish I could…_

"Prince Xavier, NO!" Roba cried out in surprise to see the prince charge at her brother, raising his sword in the air.

Roba covered her eyes and wailed in horror. The glass in the wall cracked. The Destiny's Light.

_I wish I could…_

…_protect you, Roba!_

Klon with his last thought smiled, fell back on the grass surround the crimson liquid around him. He died.

----

One year later.

The servant dropped the tray while she stared in shock at the monk stood before her. "To join the temple…?"

The prince nodded at Roba with a grin. "That seem you have a destiny to take. Go ahead, that's what your brother wants."

"Beside, we will take care of your family as well!" Fang added glaring at Prince Xavier.

"Prince…" Roba said softly and then she smiled. "Thank you…"

----

In the Dark War after the Heylin and Xiaolin began all this chaos, because of the Leviathan.

Aaku nodded her head happily, and then she opened her mouth to say something more, but she was interrupted by the steel demon roaring through the wave of fire and the beam of light.

"Toka! Roba!" Aaku yelled in surprise, running to the two nearly wounded warriors. "Where are Master Seth…and Tai Zu?"

When Toka opened his mouth as Roba beat him, answering to Aaku's question. "They're going to seal some demons in other area near Black Mountain. Probably they got Shinyu's and Xuan's whereabouts."

Aaku frowned as she slowly turned her head to the steel demon when Toka yelled out his fire-type wu. "Whip of Flame, Arrow Sparrow - Wudai Mars Fire!"

Toka whipped the wave of fire from the red vine whipping rope as the eight red flaming arrow sparrows came out of it, heading to the steel demon's chest and exploded when it make a connect to the demon's.

"ARRRRRRR!" The Steel Demon roared, his eyes closed tightly in pain and then he opened them as he glared angrily at Toka. "_Prepare to attack... Activated the Double Cannon Attack…_"

Teiku's eyes widened in horror at the two gigantic cannons and then he yelled at the elemental warriors. "GET DOWN!" He ducked down while the other warriors heard him and ducked too.

Lord Yuki narrowed his cold dull blue eyes, smiling down at them coldly. "_3…2…1…farewell!_" He replied monotone as his double cannons aimed down at the warriors and began to glowing yellow brightly.

When the beam turned into blue, Lord Yuki roared. "_Fire!" _As he fired the double blue beams onto the ground where the 3 elemental warriors and Teiku, collapsing it down to the ground with gray cloud dusts anywhere.

Teiku coughed violently, squinting through his eyelids to see Aaku coughed in front of him. "Aaku? Are you alright?"

"Fine…coughs" The earth warrior turned to and shout something to her right side. And then she paused until the familiar reply back to her. "Thank goodness… They're all in one piece…"

Teiku turned back to the steel demon with a worried frown. "What do we do if he's too strong for us to defeat?"

Aaku shrugged, shaking her head helplessly. "I don't know."

"Wait…" Roba said softly as she stumped to Aaku's right side, holding her arm. "Yuki is a elemental demon of steel. Fire could melt it if it is too hot. Same goes for Shinyu's lightning."

"Heh. It could fry that thing." Toka chuckled weakly, imagining the lightning strike at the steel demon and shocked him to death.

Teiku snorted as he, too, pictured it in his mind. "Which one's strong wu?"

Toka shook his head and blinked at him. "Well…" He pulled out the beautiful red flute with the end of a firebird's head. "Phoenix Flute. This one is too way strong to control."

Roba nodded in agreement. "As for Culver Crystal." She showed Teiku a beautiful white pale dove with cerulean eyes. "Unlike Denshi Bunny, it causes a great paralyzing our enemy. Even one more thing, it blinded our enemy too."

"And mine's Armor of Genbu." Aaku said as soon as the words left her, the green armor appeared on her clothes, covering her skin except it leaves her face opened. She looked almost the same as Medieval Era Earth Knight.

"It may not strong. But this armor is as powerful as Longhorn Taurus and Fist of Tebigong merged as one wu." Aaku explained with a grin. "Hey… I got a plan…" She beckoned her team to her, including Teiku.

"Let's hear what you say." Roba smiled looking over at Aaku and at Teiku, realizing something going on. She smiled.

The girl in white robe jumped out of the hole, holding the white dove as she yelled out. "Culver Crystal - Shoku Diamond Light!"

The white dove glowered in white; it brightened at the steel demon as Yuki cowered away from the light while it stung his eyes. "ARRRRRRR!" Yuki cried out in anger, shaking his head blindly.

When the steel demon tried to move, but he realized he can't move! _What… Damn that little brat!_

"_Must Eliminate You, Humans! Fire!_"He roared loudly, as the ground shook at the sound of roar.

"You want fire? Here it is!" Another boy yelled out, playing the red flute as the yellow phoenix came out of the end of the red flute. "Phoenix Flute - Shoku Sun Fire!"

The yellow phoenix turned into bright red, screeching loudly as it flew to the steel demon and covered him.

Yuki roared in pain, feeling under his steel armor melted onto his skin. Turning his head to Aaku, he narrowed his eyes angrily. He had no choice but to kill, no matter if he has to go down, a human must go down with him as well!

"_Steel Cannon Claws!" _He roared as his steel-like claws swiped down at her.

"Armor of Genbu – Shoku Quake Earth!" Aaku roared as she leaped into the air and then she flew down to the ground with her armor fist. When her armor fist slammed onto the ground, the ground shook and then split into two as in between the steel demon and Aaku.

But too late for Aaku to get away from the shattering ground, she fell in. Teiku ran to her, yelling out to her. "Aaku! Grab my hand!" He stretched his hand far to her.

"Teiku…" Aaku said in surprise as she reached out to him and their hands clashed each other while she was hanging against the earth wall. "Ugh… Teiku…" She looked up and saw Teiku holding her hand tightly, trying to move backward.

"Hnnn! Hang on… I'm pulling you up." Teiku growled with a huff.

As he finally pulled her out of the deep crater and both panting heavy as he grinned at her. "Boy. We won… We beat that steel ass bastard…"

Aaku let out a shaky laugh. "Yeah…"

Suddenly, a bad feeling tore through her mind as her blue eyes widened in horror when the deep growling voice from the deep crater.

"_Silver Bullet Cannon!" _

A glowing bullet in a deep yellow soared through the air and headed toward Teiku. Looking in horror at him, Aaku struggled to get up and ran toward him. In slow motion, she leaped slowly at him. "Teik_uuuuu!" _

Slowly, he turned his head and saw the bullet head right toward him, as his eyes grew bigger in half horror and half surprise.

Gasping in surprise, Roba covered her mouth as she cried out. "Watch out!" As quickly reacting to it, Toka tore out of the way toward between Teiku and the bullet.

In normal motion, the off screen was splashed with crimson with a cry out in pain. Someone clutching his chest as he fell to the ground with pool of blood while the bullet tore through the flesh.

Teiku and Aaku froze at the sight of the wounded warrior falling to the ground in front of them.

_What the…?_ Teiku thought with a daze, staring in surprise at Toka.

Aaku gaped at Toka before she snapped out of her trance as she ran to him. "Toka! You idiot--! Why!"

Roba's eyes widened in surprise at him as her tears rolling down quickly, "Toka…!"

Opening his dark blue eyes tiredly at the girls, the fire warrior smirked. "What? I can't let you girls get hurt… If I let one of you get hurt, I'll get lecturing out of that bastard Shinyu…" With a weak chuckled and then a loud groan when he felt a pain wrecked in his body.

Paused at for a moment, he glanced over at the deep crater. "Aaku…? Do me a favor and seal that thing inside right now."

Aaku nodded at him, she plummeted her fist onto the ground as the crater sealed up and returned to the flat ground again. "Don't go… Toka…" She said trailed off as she shuddered at the thought of Toka dying in the battle.

She lost Zalo and Xiao Lin… She doesn't want to lose another friend like Toka again. "Toka…Hang on, we'll see Shinyu soon. Together."

The fire warrior chuckled and then coughed while he covered his mouth with his fist. "Ah. I'll be fine. There's no way for a ol' flame like me to go away." He laughed.

Smiling at him, Aaku nodded in understood. "Roba…" She glanced over to the white girl. "Take him to the healer, please?"

Roba nodded.

Teiku stepped forward, holding Shinwa the horse bird. "Here, Shinwa will guild you two to where you want to go." He stated as he handled the leash to Roba.

Roba smiled at him with a silent thank as she took the leash and carried the wounded fire warrior over Shinwa's back. Riding the horse bird, she headed over the hidden camp area leaving Teiku and Aaku alone.

"Master Monk Guan!" Roba cried out to the huge monk, riding the horse bird with injured Toka. "Master Monk Guan!"

"Yes, young one…" Master Monk Guan stopped when he saw the injured warrior on the horse bird. "Bring him to the bed!"

"Yes sir."

_Toka, hang on…_

----

A week later after the funeral of Xuan and Yuiku…

Roba stood among his friends and enemies that turned into their now friends again, staring ahead at the coming demons from the distance.

The light elemental turned her head back to Lord Ariko and his last three demons… Luce, Maijra, and Ragku.

It will be their last final battle…

She remembered her brother smiled before he died appeared in her mind. _Klon… I hope you don't mind I take your place and fighting for you…_

…

…

…

**End of the Chapter 19**

* * *

Me: That's all about Roba! Oh and about Roba's relationship with Yanji will be coming later after Shinyu and Ariko's battle.

R & R!


	21. The Northern Temple Part I

Me: Well, Disclaimer: I do not own Xiaolin Showdown and its characters… I only own my muses and my own wu(s). Once when I found a song I didn't know where it came from… (scratching head in confusion at the journal book she held in her hand)

Now it's the Zu Siblings' turn in 20th Chapter!

The Story Chapter Begin, everyone!

* * *

**Chapter 20 – The Northern Temple (Part I)**

…

…

…

- - In veiled Temple- -

_**Somewhere tonight**_

_**Inside of me**_

_**A smile so distant memory**_

Rain.

It fell heavily.

Fat drops splashed in puddles near their feet. Rain pelted them from above, trying to cleanse the earth and everything within reach. They were dripping wet, but they didn't care. The two hardly batted an eyelash when rain leaked into their eyes.

_**I'm covering up my face**_

_**And landing on my knees**_

_**So you can never see**_

_**The darkest part of me**_

In the Temple, there was a woman and birthed the son and daughter to the monk. She named them Tai and Shina. Tai means 'the talented one' and Shina means 'virtue'. But the child girl prefers Shin to Shina because normally the monks wouldn't allow a girl in their group.

"Yasho?"

The man lifted his head up, hearing his name called upon him. He saw his beloved wife stood by the ancient black gateway door. "Tori." He replied not surprising to see her.

"Are you sure we should separated the twins to two different regions?" Tori asked fearfully, looking into her husband's eyes.

_**Shutting my eyes**_

_**I'm dying inside**_

Pausing for a moment then let out a sad sigh, he gave one long time glance at his children in each of basket sleeping peaceful. "Tori… We both know we cannot afford to keep them alive while we are being hunted. I refuse to allow our children to suffer the same way we suffer."

"But why separate them?" Tori asked knowing what was coming from her husband.

"One way to keep them alive… is not knowing of their true history involving the Zu Clans. You knew we had many enemies in the past and present."

"…"

Tori half closed her eyes, looking away from her husband to the sleeping twins rest into her arms. She doesn't want to lose them forever, but she doesn't have an option to keep them because of the enemies that they were chased by.

If the enemies found out about the babies, they might have either hold them as a hostage or killed them without a single of mercy.

_**I've lost myself**_

_**A thousand times**_

"In the way, they won't know they are the siblings…" The woman whispered softly to her husband, looking at her babies with sorrowful look. "From different temple…"

"Trust me. They will understand, Tori."

_**But I can remain**_

_**In spite of the pain**_

Ten years later…

"Shin Zu!"

Sitting on the hay, she glanced over at the young red falcon in the green robe running to her while he was waving the scroll in his red-feathered hand. "Zak? What are you doing here?" Shin asked in surprise to see an Ave from the Sky temple.

Zak, the red falcon Ave, is only one person who knew of Shin's a girl among the male monks in the southern temple. But he kept the oath to not tell of her secret to monks.

If the monks knew this, they would throw her out by now.

"I got a message scroll for you, Shin." Zak said, handing the golden scroll with the symbol of Four Temple. "It's an message from the Northern Temple, saying something four chosen warriors from each of four temples."

Shin Zu blinked then smiled, remembering the five years old young boy from the northern temple. "Probably it's Guan!" As she averted away from the lake to the Ave and then she seized the white scroll out of the crimson-feathered humanoid bird's hands, reading it silently.

After few minutes later, she slowly rolled the scroll closed and sighed heavily as the bird quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Well?" Zak asked curiously, eyeing her.

Shin Zu squirmed uncomfortably under the Ave's curious stare, avoiding his eyes as she watched the ducks swimming in the circle in the lake.

"I was… invited to the Eastern Temple, to be chosen among other three chosen. They said they had choose four of warriors from each of four temples in the order to protect the world from the evil force as they had predicted in foresight with a spirit." She paused for a moment and then she stood up suddenly, startling the Ave.

"I'm not going." She tossed the scroll to the red Ave, who managed to catch the scroll before it fell to the grass.

As soon as the word left her, she could hear the Ave fell over anime-style with a loud thud and then, Zak yelled in surprise. "WHAT?"

After the red bird recovered from shock, he manages to sitting in an Indian seat style and stared in shock at her. "But why? With this invitation, you could get a position of a true warrior, protecting the innocent people and fought monsters!!"

Shin remains silently, still gazing at the lake with a clouded look in her eyes. "Zak…" She finally said softly, causing the bird to stop his blabbing. "You have forgotten that I'm a girl… I would be declined without saying anything in it. I don't know where my parents are…probably they are departed by now."

The Ave glanced over to her for a minute, as he seems to understand her. Without saying any word to her, he thrust the scroll in his hands towards Shin, who snatched the scroll away, not even bothering to look at it.

He nudged Shin's shoulder.

"Let's go, Shin." Zak said grinned at her, ruffling her hair to annoying her.

Waving him off, Shin Zu flashed him a smile for the first time.

_**I'll cross this line**_

_**Just one last time**_

- - In Western Temple - -

In the temple where the young black haired and olive green eyed boy sat on the bench under the statue of a white tiger, reading the same golden scroll he had gotten from one of the monks.

"Hmm… The four chosen warriors from the four temples to protected the world and the people from the dark forces, huh? Interesting..." He smiled, placing the scroll on his lap and then he looked up at the sky thoughtful.

"Must be some crazy adventure if I am already one of the four chosen to protect the people and fighting the evils to save the world…" He mused with a daydream smile, looking at the lazy clouds drafting across the sky. "It beats the chores and training."

"Nah, I think not." The voice dipped with a dry tone, startling the poor monk leapt at least five feet high from the ground. He swirled around, holding up his fists in defense, as he was ready to kick anything but until then he realized it was only his friend, Hsin Hong-Li, known as Hiss.

"Enjoy scrubbing every tiles to tiles and listening to old monks' bored lecturing about your failure and lessons, blah, blah, blah. Must be some bored adventure if you think about it." Hsin replied, grinning idiotically at the human.

Still in his human form, he had his long purple ponytail with two long blue bangs over each of his cheeks and the lone small blue bang hanging over his forehead while his upper chest was seen with light sky blue splits on each of his arms. He was wearing a white monkish pant with a blue sash and barefooted.

"Hsin!" The soon to be chosen warrior exclaimed in surprise, falling out of the battle stance as he stood up, staring in confusion at the were-drake. "What are you doing here, I thought you were suppose to be in Hidden Valley Region."

The purple were-drake shrugged his shoulders carelessly, pulling his arms over his head and stared back at the boy almost lazily with a trademark cockily smirk suddenly appeared on his face.

"Huh? Nah, Tai Zu! Going back to the valley to be the victim of Lung and Long's pranks? No thanks. Crazy, bloody Chinese Duo." Hsin glanced down at his human friend and then he trolled over to where Tai Zu sit and sit next him, stretching his sore limps in directions with a yawn.

"By the way, King Draco proposed me to be a part of in the 47th troop of the Hidden Valley Region. Isn't that great?" The drake shot him a grin like a happy child had gotten a free lollipop.

Slowly turning his head to his friend, Tai Zu gave the drake a bored look with an upward eyebrow. "Wow. Congrats on your proposal, Hsin! Now please leave me alone in peace?" He said quietly, staring coldly at the were-dragon, who flinched at the look that he provided toward his way, whistling innocently while pretending to think.

"Ummm…Nope." After few seconds later, Hsin finally grinned over at the monk, who covered his face with his hands, mumbling something nonsense words under his breath.

Hsin sweatdropped.

_**They are part of me**_

_**These words that never heal**_

_**They still remind me**_

_**That all of this is real**_

- - In Northern Temple - -

The sun was just beginning to rise when a noise in the bushes woke Gitu. His wide eyes scanning the clearing the group was staying in. Nothing in the bushes and nothing in the trees, his expert eyes would've spotted anything unusual. Satisfied, he went back to sleep on Shin Zu's chest.

Again, Gitu was sure he heard something this time. Flying toward the woods to investigate, Gitu quickly scanned the wooded area, after seeing nothing he ran back to Shin Zu. As if afraid he would be captured if he did not return quickly.

Once Gitu was asleep Shin Zu began to stir, like she was escaping a dream. She opened her eyes just as the sun surfaced above the treetops. She sighed, for she hadn't seen such things in the Southern Temple, the temple usually blocked the sun. Staring at the sun she couldn't help but say--

"Beautiful."

"Just like you." Shin Zu nearly fell over, on her knees, when the new voice came into the solo conversation.

When she turned the golden Chinese dragon was standing over her, looking down. He smiled his warm smile, the one he saved just for her, and held out his hand. Shin Zu smiled and didn't move, just smiled.

"Aren't you gonna take it?" The golden dragon asked an upward eyebrow, baring a dragonish grin.

Shin Zu shook her head smiling up at the golden dragon. "Nah, I'm fine. Are you here to taking us to Northern Temple, aren't you Chucky?" She asked hopeful.

The golden dragon transformed back into his normal size, looking skinny and long snake-like shape with a golden beard. "Nah. Master Monk Gyan doesn't allow me to carry you to the Northern Temple. Only one way is climb those stairs." He pointed at the long way up stair, probably at least 3,000 steps.

Shin Zu dropped her jaw onto the ground, staring at the long upstairs in disbelief. _Gods, anybody please kill me! _She thought, slapped her face with her hand.

"You still have these stupid stairs?" The she-monk muttered as she started to climb.

Sweatdropped, the red Ave stared up at the stairs. "I think I'd rather fly." Zak took to the air immediately but was hit on the head by Master Monk Gyan's staff out of nowhere.

"You'll have to take the stairs too, Zak. No short cuts." Master Monk Gyan replied, holding the staff over poor red falcon, who stared at him in shock, and wondering where the monk come from.

Master Monk Gyan was the uncle of Guan and the training master of the Northern Temper, wearing the same robe that Guan would grew up and wore it in his adult form. Pity, he did have a worst temper than Guan…

"What the hell? Where are you come from?" Zak complained, rubbing his head._ Probably that's just all monks' so called magic thing. Always appearing out of nowhere and disappeared out of nowhere, to scaring the hell out of my feathers like that! _

"Let's get going then," Chucky started, clawing up to Master Monk Gyan.

Shin Zu and Zak groaned in union. It took a good half an hour until they were finally at the top.

"I'm exhausted," Zak commented as he swayed lightly on his feet. "And who are in the hell inverted those damn stairs?"

Shin Zu collapsed onto the ground in relief, laughing softly at the Ave's typical behavior. "Probably Master Gyan did…"

"Lady Shin Zu!" Shin Zu jolted up at her name, turning around to beam at the familiar small monk with his first spear staff and the sight of the familiar grinning on his face.

"Guan!"

_**Hiding from the world**_

_**Lost in my disease**_

_**So you can never see**_

_**The darkest part of me**_

- - In Western Temple - -

The sun was just now around in the noon when a noise echoed around in beautiful temples, the monk stomped out of the temple, shouting at the pouting were-drake.

"No way you are not going with me!" Tai Zu howled for fourth times, packing stuff into his sack for his trip to Eastern Temple and then he turned around glaring at Hsin. "Aren't you supposed to return to Hidden Valley Region, Hiss?"

Hsin stopped, changing his expression from pouting to surprise. "Hiss? Hmm… Nice nickname, not bad." Then he grinned. "Too bad I'm not a snake, sorry."

Tai Zu chuckled. "If I remember correctly, your weird laugh did sound oddly like a laughing snake. _'Sdsdsdsd'_ or something like that." Then he paused at thought. "I wonder…does snake laugh?"

The were-drake suddenly miffed at the comment, crossing his arms across his chest as he sulked following the monk to the entrance of the gate. "That's not even funny, Tai Zu." He mumbled darkly, letting his friend heard him.

As he could hear the laughter escaped from his friend, he smiled. He hadn't heard his friend laughing in years since that day…when he and Tai Zu found out that Tai was came from the Zu Clans.

And then they searched for the Zu Clans in three years until he found the Zu Clans hometown, which it was destroyed in flame and battle scars. There are no survivors in sight left. No clues of whereabouts of Zu Clans left. The trail was now end and faded away until that is just a memory.

Tai Zu was heartbroken. He had been hoping there might be a sole survivor from the Zu Clans until his dream crushed into pieces like dust when he finally found the residence of Zu Clans in ruin.

If only he knew there is a last survivor somewhere closer to him…

_**Shutting my eyes**_

_**I'm dying inside**_

_**I've lost myself**_

_**A thousand times**_

"Hiss?"

Snapped out of his trance, the drake jogged up to the monk with a guard grin. He couldn't let Tai Zu suffering any more and he also can't afford making him to remember the past again.

"Yea, coming!" He chirped.

Tai Zu rolled his eyes, shaking his head. _Typical were drake…_

_**But I can remain**_

_**In spite of the pain**_

_**I'll cross this line**_

_**Just one last time**_

- - In Northern Temple - -

Meanwhile in the meeting room, Shin Zu left without the protesting words of the Northern Monks and Master Monk Gyan. Sighing to herself, she overheard the heated argument between the Northern Monks and Master Monk Gyan, probably about her and the other girl.

"Who are you?" The female's voice startled Shin Zu, as the figure approached her on the upper stairs in the black robe with light green sash.

Shin Zu blinked in mutely surprised and turned her head toward the 10-years old girl. She was only barely a month older than the girl. "Shin Zu. And you?" She responded with a soft tone.

"Hey Lin." The girl introduced herself with a thin smile. "Aren't you hungry? It's almost over for lunch."

Shin Zu opened her mouth to protest, but her stomach growled for her as a blush crept on her face. And then a thin smile turn upward a bit on Hey Lin's face, knowing she was right.

"Shall we?" She asked turning around and waited for Shin Zu to walk with her.

_**I can feel it**_

_**I can feel it**_

_**Just for a second I want you to see**_

_**I hide myself from you**_

_**I hide myself from you**_

All the rumors had been true; Shin Zu realized as she stared up at the building in front of her, Hey Lin did in fact live in a mountain where the small shrine is. The sheer size of the shrine was beyond belief. There were rare sakura trees, there were a lone well, there were a porch swings, ponds…

It was simply amazing. To think that such a place existed in a part of the sacred mountain where all the magic-entranced humans lives in the past.

"Are you coming in?" Hey Lin asked, glancing back at her through the open door with curiosity.

"Oh! Sorry… I'm coming." Shin Zu laughed, walking her way up the porch steps to the front door. She had rarely been invited to anyone's house, let alone a witch's. _At least I'm not only one female monk after all…_ With a smile, she thought to herself.

Carefully, she eased back the sliding shoji paper door and stepped quietly inside.

_**I feel so infected from these memories**_

_**I hide myself from you**_

_**I hide myself from you**_

_**From you, from you**_

- - In Eastern Temple - -

The young girl stood watching the fireflies dancing across the high grass hill under the moonlight, her gray-blue eyes softened at the quiet scene. She stood there for few hours until he realized when the rain falls upon her.

Then a second later, the straw-like hat plopped on her head and the startled gasp from her lips as he peeped up through the thin between the straws to see the fiery black haired boy with olive green eyes. Wha…?

"Wha…?"

"Ya know… you're going to get sick if you continue to stand in the rain." The boy said grinning at her, brushing his wet black bangs over his right ear.

"Who are you…?"

The rain continued falling and falling around them, soaking them to cold. He turned his head upward the sky, covering his bangs with his eyes and the hint of tiny smile appeared on his face. "The name's Tai Zu."

"Shin Zu…" The girl muttered under her breath, looking away from the boy with a frown. When she heard a gasp, as out of curiosity, she glanced back at the boy gaping at her with a strange look on his face.

"What?" She snapped narrowing her eyes in suspicious at him.

"Nothing…" Tai Zu shook his head and looked back to the sky again, clewing his lower lips in thought. "Hey Shin…"

"Mm?" Shin Zu blinked distractedly from looking at the fireflies and stared coldly at him, expecting him to continue.

Tai Zu did not rely, instead he lashed out and grip on Shin Zu's right wrist tightly startling her in surprise. The girl widened her eyes and then narrowed again, tugging her hand out of the boy's deadly grasp but no luck.

"Let. Go. Of. My. Hand!" Shin Zu growled, glaring daggers at Tai Zu who didn't flinch at her and pull backward the sleeve that covered her arm. As he smirked when it revealed the symbol of a horse.

"A symbol of a horse…" He trailed off his eyes softened, slowly letting of Shin Zu's hand and then his hands return to his side again. "That is the symbol of the Zu Clan. One of the 12 Clans."

His eyes darted up from the symbol to the girl's eyes; his hand ran through his hair as he sighed heavy. "I finally found you at last…Shina Zu."

Shin Zu looked up in surprise, holding her wrist. "How did you know my name? No one found out about it!"

Tai Zu raises an eyebrow at her and then he grinned widely, "Because I'm your brother." He held up the same symbol that Shin Zu had. "I found out from the old book that Father had left with me until I am older enough to discovered the secret of Zu Clan. Our parents left us separately at two different temples for a reason..."

Shin Zu stared at him disbelief, already feeling that she's going to faint at any moment. _What…?_

_**Shutting my eyes**_

_**I'm dying inside**_

_**I've lost myself**_

_**A thousand times**_

"What do you mean? We are…" Shin Zu trailed off softly, as her long lost brother let her wrist go seeing there is no harm in it. "One of the 12 Clans?" She asked almost to herself, following him as they walked to the garden.

Tai Zu nodded looking forward at each of beautiful flowers. "There are Ryuu Clans, Nezumi Clans, Hakko Clans, Inoko Clans, Daija Clans, Usagi Clans, Zaru Clans, Oushi Clans, Hitsuji Clans, Hachi Clans, Ondori Clans…"

And then he stopped, looking back to her. "Of course, and Zu Clans. It should have been a Kage Clans, but instead they decided Zu to hide their true surname."

_Kage…_ Shin Zu thought staring confusedly at him. _It, also, means "shadow" and "other side". Yet it's still means of yellowish-brown horse._

"We should watch out for Nezumi Clans, sister. I recalled Zu Clans had some bad histories with Nezumi Clans. I found two allies from Hakko Clans and Hachi Clans; Aito Hakko and Fuu Hachi."

Shin Zu looked back at the garden area, in thoughtful. "I see."

"You'll love them, I know it." Tai Zu grinned. _Especially Aito… I hope you'll love him._ His eyes downcast at the ground, knowing his sister would be angry if she knew…

_**But I can remain**_

_**In spite of the pain**_

_**I'll cross this line**_

_**Just one last time**_

"Shin!"

Quickly forgetting about her brother, the girl perked up and whirled around beaming happily at the other girl running toward to her. "Hey Lin, about time! Where are you going?"

Tai Zu sweatdropped at her sister, disappointed that he had been tossed away forgotten, yet relieved at same time. _Great… I pray there is another boy. I can't survive with another girl attack!_

He gritted his teeth tightly, hearing the giggles between two girls that made his eye twitching uncontrollably. _If I heard one more 'giggling' again, I'll…_

A cough dismissed his thought away; Tai Zu turned in the direction of sound and saw the master from the Eastern Temple, judging the robes that man had been wearing. _He could be that Master Seth I've heard about? _

"Good, Good, Good… You are finally all here at Eastern Temple. I shall show you the way…" Master Seth said monotone as he turned around and walking gracefully to the entrance of the Eastern Temple, leading to the meeting room.

That was their first time to meeting a son of the Grand Master of Eastern Temple, Xiao Lin…

_**Just one last time**_

_**I'll cross this line**_

_**Just one last time**_

----

"I cannot wait for teaching the students all I know of in my training lessons! Since I am the best student of SPIRIT!"

Tai Zu jerked up in startle, staring disbelief at the small monk who laughed outside the doorway. _That's the student Master Seth had been talking about? But he's just a small child!_

"Xiao Lin…"

Being startled at the voice of his master, Xiao Lin suddenly tripped over and faced down on the floor with a loud thump. "Master Seth…?" He asked rubbing his painful bump on his head.

_Oh. That's Xiao Lin? _Tai Zu stared at Master Seth's back blankly, chuckled silently to himself when the small monk tripped over and flat-faced on the floor.

Master Seth sighed over at the sight of his first student and stepped to side, revealing three new students – one boy and two girls from three different countries. "I may introduction you to the three students. Tai Zu, his younger sister Shin Zu, and Hey Lin." He turned to all three students. "This is the student of mine, Xiao Lin, the son of Grand Master Monk of this temple."

Tai Zu narrowed his cold eyes at the young Xiao Lin and grunted in greeting way at him, he crossed his arms across his arms. "Hello."

Shin Zu, the girl by Tai Zu's side, glared up at her brother and smiled apologizing at Xiao Lin. "Hi. Sorry about an idiot brother of mine he just…a jerk. As usual." Scowling darkly at her, Tai Zu scoffed.

Xiao Lin turned his head back to the last girl same as his age. His eyes widened at the sight of her. He wasn't expecting a dark tanned girl, especially a _witch_ like her!

Hey Lin narrowed her chilling green eyes at the boy gaping at her like an awestruck idiot. "Humpt!" She turned her back to him, crossing her arms like a spoiled princess.

Seeing the scene, Shin Zu smacked her forehead with her palm and sighed in annoyance. _It's going to be all day…_

_**Just one last time**_

_**I'll cross this line**_

After their first mission, they had been arguing each other all day. Xiao Lin and Hey Lin hadn't been got along since the first day they meet each other, driving Tai Zu and Shin Zu headaches.

Few months later, Xiao Lin and Hey Lin had dragged them into their ridiculous huge argument.

Hey Lin, the student of Black Tortoise of North, decided to switch with White Tiger instead of Tortoise and switch with the South instead of the North.

Tai Zu, the student of White Tiger of West, was quite disappointed with her, but he accepted a sudden change. He decided to take Black Tortoise.

Xiao Lin, the student of Blue Dragon of East, found out from between Hey Lin and Tai Zu. He refused to switch because he said the blue Dragon is just suit him.

So Shin Zu, the student of Red Phoenix of South, agreed too, however, she was still angry with Hey Lin. And then she took the North and told the soon-to-be witch that she never want to do anything involve with her ever again.

Nearly 5 years of argument had passed later, and then they decided to have a truce between the Four of Temples. Until the children appeared in few years later known as the sacred Chosen whom will do anything to save the world and innocent lives in it from the dark forces.

Like Tai Zu said, it was just _ridiculous_.

----

Many years later… Xiao Lin had become the next Grand Master after his father died while his young brother, Dashi, had become a next Dragon of Spirit. Tai Zu was quite surprised when Xiao Lin approached him and asked him to be the Master to trained the new Chosen Ones, so he agreed.

That's how he first meet the children in the training room… Xuan, Shinyu, Yanji, Zalo, Roba, Kisara, Aaku, Yuiku, Jiro and Toka. He grinned as he had felt it's going to be interesting.

After few years later, that was when Xiao Lin first made a mistake…by sending Xuan away from the Temple of Dragon.

"Dashi, you are now Leader." Xiao Lin said turned around and looking at his first young brother. "Tigers and Dragons, you all must have 24 hours to chose the name for your clans."

The tiger and dragon chosen ones bowed.

"Dismissed."

Suddenly, a loud cheer from young boys, they dashed out of the temple to the outside, and soon followed by young girls. But that leaves Xuan alone with Hey Lin and Lizgon, waiting for Xiao Lin.

Xiao Lin quirked his eyebrow at the young Brazilian and smiled at the girls. "Please leave us at moment, young ladies."

Hey Lin rolled her eyes and sulking out of the temple along with the young teen. "Fine, fine, fine. Enjoy break it to him already, Xiao Lin." She mumbled darkly as she disappeared behind the doorway.

"Grandmaster Xiao Lin…" Xuan greeted politely, nodded his head in respect for the older monk. "…I cannot help but noticed you do not choose me as one of the chosen ones. Why is that, Grandmaster, something you hid from me? Explain now."

Xiao Lin let out a huge sigh of exhausting and looked at the young brunette. "That is why I am afraid… there is something I sense in you is something I do not like to know. You supposed to be the tiger of darkness but…"

Xuan frowned, narrowed his amethyst eyes and uncrossed his arms, falling to his side. "But what, _Grandmaster_?" He asked coldly, stressed the word of Grandmaster to make the monk flinched.

"I'm afraid… I have to banish you for your own good. Perhaps you would be safe from the great evil."

Xuan's eyes widened in surprise and sad but pure anger and then narrowed at the older monk. "So I'm rejected, then? Fine! I shouldn't have left Toborejo."

The long dark brown haired teen turned around, stalking angrily toward the doorway. He did not hear Xiao Lin call out to him.

"Be careful where are you going to."

When Xuan left, Xiao Lin let out a sigh as Master Tai Zu stepped out of behind the hidden pillar. The Grand Master looked up and then back to the floor, spoke to his best friend in soft tone.

"Am I making a mistake, Tai Zu?"

Tai Zu shook his head. _I do not know, Xiao Lin… I hope it was right what we must keep him safe, rather than keeping him where he could be in danger. _

Two Months later… That was when Xiao Lin was murdered while all Chosen Ones fought the evil forces along with Wuya who suddenly turned over to the dark side and she fought against Dashi, their leader.

Xiao Lin drank his favorite green tea as the wooden door opened and he looked up and saw the cloaked person stood in the doorway, shadowing his face so he can't see whoever the person is.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" The Grandmaster demanded, placing the teacup on the beautiful craving red table. "Answer me."

"Oh, _Grandmaster_, you don't recognized me? I'm hurt." The cloaked person said, tilted his head and grinning darkly at the old monk.

Xiao Lin's eyes widened in surprise and fear. "Can't it be…?"

"Yes..." the cloaked person lifted his hood off revealing his amethyst eyes. No soul was in sight in them any more but just dull and lifeless. "You banished me for no reason, old man."

Xiao Lin stood up and backed until he was pressed against the wall. "You… You're not the Xuan I ever know!"

"Oh, clever as you seem." Xuan grinned, pulling out of the silver blade with black hilt. "Recognize this?"

"Shadow Blade! It's the cursed sword of Demon Ariko!" Xiao Lin exclaimed, narrowed his eyes at the demon or a dark spirit. "So you are freed I assumed, Ariko?"

Xuan laughed. "No… I'm still trapped. I can control this boy's mind and body by just using my power. I'm nothing but simply spirit. Now, chitchatting is over. Say hello to Four Gods!" He snapped, lifting his Shadow Blade.

----

One week later, Shin Zu and Tai Zu was the only ones are deeply hurt at the death of their best friend, Xiao Lin while Hey Lin was nowhere in sight, adding the salt to their wounds.

And the one day, that when Shin Zu found out Shinyu was missing… Everything went wrong since the death of Xiao Lin.

Zalo was the first to die fighting the Sea Demon and drown in the lake. Hey Lin died fighting the new enemy known as Lord Ariko and the same fate for Jiro. Mistress Liz Gon was just simply vanished without telling anyone. And Yanji was returning back to his pack for a unknown reason, probably about Lycan person.

"… _Toka-chan?" Shin Zu replied softly, seeing the Japanese stiffed at the childhood nickname and she knew the fire-boy hated it so much._

"_Stop calling me a Chan. I'm not that little…" He replied coldly, unable to looking at her and instead of this, he glanced down at the grass with full of sakura petals. "Not anymore…not even once again…"_

"…_So I see… some things changed in our lives…" Shin Zu mumbled quietly, holding her knees together and glazing across the hills. "I'm guessing… Xuan left… Shinyu went after him…?"_

_After she received nothing from the stiffed warrior of fire, the shinboi knew she was so close to the truth but at same time she was too far from it… "Toka…?"_

"_Xuan… left this temple… even left his younger brother alone…" The fire-wielding warrior said softly, startling the shinboi in his silent state. "Then we found out… he is now the victim of the dark leviathan. A dying god, a white tiger, asked us to do a favor…"_

_Shin Zu's dark pink eyes widened in horror as she realized what's going on. "…Oh no…" She whimpered, covering her lips with her hands to prevent crying out from her. "Not him!"_

_Toka closed his eyes and sighed in half-annoyance and half-angry, but a hint of sadness in his tone. "We had to kill him… we have no choice. Shinyu went against it and stormed out of temple after that. Even I have no clue of where he is now."_

"_Poor little troublemaker…"_

And then in the beginning of the dark war, the Good forces against the Evil forces in the battle. Yuiku died fighting the Lava Demon in the battle while Toka was badly wounded from the Steel Demon.

That's was when they first saw Xuan and Shinyu fought each other, so fiercely and dead set to beating each other, probably killing another. Then suddenly, Xuan had grabbed his head and mentally fighting against the evil spirit, that everyone now understood, was the dark Lord Ariko.

After driving Ariko out, Xuan died in the arms of Shinyu, his young brother. Then a week later, Shin Zu and Tai Zu watched Shinyu tearfully asked Toka to set his brother on fire in honor of his death.

It was when Shinyu died fighting stubbornly against the imposter Xuan, which it was Ariko who stolen his brother's ashes and it was when Yanji arrived too late to save the Tiger of Lightning's life.

_**Just one last time…**_

----

Five years later…

The woman was sitting on the cliff, watching over the ocean at the sunset as the soft footsteps approaching behind her. She knew it was Kisara and her child.

"Shin Zu? How is your brother?" Kisara asked in softly, holding the small hand of her five-years old son, Avlaro.

Shin Zu smiling sadly, continued watching the sunset as the former Dragon of Wind sits next to her with her dear son. "He was teaching to the new students, Jiao-long Fung and Li with the help of Grandmaster Dashi and Master Monk Guan."

She looked down at her lap with smile. "Dashi finally got his temple building and named it Xiaolin."

She looked up at Kisara and smiled tiredly. "I'm glad the war finally had been over, but it was already damaged the bond between Xiaolin Dragons and Heylin Tigers…" She trailed off, looking down at her hands resting on her lap.

The gentle pale hand laid on top of Shin Zu's hand, quietly surprising her as she looked up seeing the soft blue eyes of the Dragon of Wind. Kisara smiled at the mistress, nodding slowly.

"I know it's been so painful memories… I know one day we'll see them as soon as we reincarnated into next generation." She said, taking her hand off and running through the soft brown hair of her son.

Shin Zu looked at Avlaro and then smiled when he saw the familiar medallion that she knew it was belong to the hero in the battle next to Grandmaster Dashi.

_Tai Zu…_ She looked back to the sun set with the mix of wonder and sorrow. _It's hurt when there is the darkest part of every one of us…_

Then she smiled barely, just barely at the sunset. _I had so many nightmares, brother… But I'll cross this line, just one more last time. _

_**Just one last time...**_

…

…

…

**End of the Chapter 20**

* * *

Me: Finally! One more Chapter left to go, and then it will be Shinyu and Ariko's battle in a next chapter. Next Chapter will be about Zhai, Chase Young, Master Monk Guan, and Xia Shu the Blind Swordman. (oh, also including the cat warriors. grin)

R & R!


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